The Contract
by rubberglue
Summary: Gwen needs money and Arthur needs a girlfriend. What starts out as a simple means of getting what each of them needs suddenly becomes very complicated.
1. Chapter 1

AN: This is something I wrote some time ago. Posting on request. :)

* * *

"Are you sure that this is a good idea?" Merlin rubbed his temple as he stared at his friend.

"No, but I can't think of anything else. Can you? I can't admit that I lied. That would just make things worse."

Merlin sighed and had to admit that he didn't have a better idea. At least none that they hadn't tried yet. How did he get himself involved in this anyway? Oh yes. He thought that asking Pendragon Hotels to sponsor a charity he volunteered at was a good idea. It was in a way, since he managed to persuade Morgana Pendragon to make a significant donation to the charity and somehow managed to get himself a lucrative job working as Arthur Pendragon's personal assistant. Still, no one warned him that getting involved with the Pendragons would mean getting himself entangled in the oddest situations.

Guinevere's, or Gwen as she preferred to be called, reaction was a lot more subdued that he expected.

"Are you crazy?" She punctuated that with a jab to his shoulder. "Working for the Pendragons has turned your brain to mush!"

He patted himself on his back for being smart enough to make the suggestion to her in public. She might be tempted to murder him had he told her in the privacy of their shared apartment. There was still a chance she might kill him but he hoped that the walk home through the park she loved would calm her somewhat.

"I can't believe you're asking this of me! What do you think I am?"

"You need the money," Merlin pointed out. That was true. Gwen's father was quite sick and the hospitalisation and medical bills were mounting. It didn't help that her younger brother decided to take off and disappear immediately after he graduated from university. With her father refusing to move to the city and Gwen unable to give up her job, she had little choice but to hire a nurse to care for her father, only adding to the expenses she bore alone.

Merlin knew that at the end of the day, Gwen was nothing if not practical and this arrangement was a practical one for her.

When she sighed, he knew she was close to agreeing. "I'm hardly the kind of girl he would date, much less marry. How are we going to fool anyone?"

"Weren't you in drama club in secondary school? I'm sure you can act as if you're in love with him. Half the world seems to be. And he'll take one look at you and fall for you anyway. You're utterly loveable."

"Flattery will get you everywhere." Gwen still looked somewhat uncertain. "And for this charade, I'm going to get $10,000 a month? How rich is he?"

"Very, apparently." Merlin said wryly. "So is that a yes?"

"How about I'll think about it after I meet him?" 

* * *

"He's late," muttered Gwen two days later. Merlin could tell from her expression that she was having second thoughts about the whole thing.

"He's a busy man. Give him a bit of time."

Gwen merely raised her eyebrows and continued staring at the restaurant they were seated in. He didn't blame her. The first time Arthur had taken him there for lunch, he had been just as amazed at its opulence.

"Sorry. There was a minor problem at work." Arthur dragged out a chair and flung himself into it. Turning to Gwen, he grinned and stretched out his hand. "You must be Guinevere. I'm Arthur."

When Gwen hesitated, Merlin thought that she was going to refuse to shake Arthur's hand and worse, reprimand Arthur for being late. And so when she finally took Arthur's hand, he gave a sigh of relief.

"You can call me Gwen." She was blushing. Seems like even sensible Gwen was not immune to Arthur's looks. Merlin smirked to himself, filing away that little information to use against her the next time she teased him.

And that, Merlin would tell his god-children many years later, is how it all started.

* * *

With a little bit of planning and help from Merlin, Arthur managed to avoid his father for most of the day so when the lift doors slid open and his father was revealed, Arthur barely managed to hide his groan. Again his father asked about his fiance, Arthur muttered something as vague as possible then made some excuse to run away. It wasn't that he didn't love his father - he did, despite everything - but recently, his father was on some sort of get-my-only-son-hitched-and-popping-grand-children mission. When it first started, it was amusing and Arthur quite enjoyed having all these women introduced to him. A month later, it was tiresome. Now, he dreaded it whenever he saw his father with any woman around his age. Where did his father find all these women anyway? And frankly, he felt like the wall his father was throwing females at to see what sticks.

Never in his life did think he would have to pay for a girlfriend but here he was, in a tiny little apartment, sitting across perhaps the only female left in the city his father hasn't thrown at him, and negotiating some sort of contract.

"This is very official," Guinevere chewed on her pen as she flipped through the contract. "Do you think I need a lawyer? Not that I can afford one."

"Well."

The pen still in her mouth, she looked up at him, her eyes considering him. "Merlin said you were trustworthy."

"I am."

"Alright then. If Merlin says I can trust you, then I will trust you. So it's $10,000 a month for as long as I play your girlfriend for at least a year."

"Yup."

"I'm not sure how this is suppose to help you though. I mean, when we finally break up, isn't your dad going to continue with his campaign to get you married?"

"I'm hoping he'll tire of it by then. Or find something else to obsess over. Or I might plead heart break when you dump me and never get over you."

She tilted her head and stared at him again, a hint of amusement in her eyes. "You didn't really think this through did you? Because it just seems like you're delaying the inevitable. You might as well buy a wife to get your Dad to stop."

She was right he admitted to himself. Unfortunately, he had opened his mouth and declared in front of his father and the latest female he had dragged along that he had a steady girlfriend he was planning to ask marry before he could actually think it through. And it was nice to have his father stop pushing females on him for the past two weeks. But now, he wanted to meet his future daughter-in-law. The last thing he needed right now, just as he was dealing with a major business deal his father already expressed doubts over, was for his father to discover that he had been spinning a lie. He was jolted out of his musings when he realised that Gwen was still talking.

"And you can terminate it at any time and I will still get paid for the year?"

"That's what it says." He had to remember she wasn't one of those corporate lawyers he dealt with daily.

"And no physical stuff?"

"No. Well, not unless we both want to. I guess we'll need to do some things. Umm, like hand holding. Or maybe hugging? Erm, some kissing but that's probably about it." That didn't come out too badly. Was she going to actually go through every point? Maybe he should have hired a lawyer for her. Then he wouldn't have to spend so much time on this uncomfortable sofa watching her as she chewed her pen and read the contract with such adorable seriousness.

Did he just describe her as adorable? He sighed and put his head in his hands. His father's incessant meddling was driving him crazy.

"Well, seeing that I'm the one who is most likely to be at a disadvantage here, forgive me for being careful." She sounded irritated and he felt slightly bad.

"Look, why don't you contact Elena? She's a friend of the family and a lawyer. She can walk you through the contract. Here. I'll forward you her number and let her know you will be coming by."

"I can't afford a lawyer!"

"I'll bear the cost. And don't worry. Elena won't risk her reputation by being anything but professional with you."

The look she sent him was suspicious but she grudgingly put aside the contract and nodded her head. "So, I'll see you again after I've signed the contract?"

Finally he could get off the sofa. How did people sit on that monstrosity? "Yes. Merlin will arrange it I expect. I do hope we can sort this out by this weekend."

"Ok." She stretched out her hand. For someone who was going to be pretend girlfriend for the next year, it was an oddly formal gesture. Still he took it, ignored the slight pleasure of her much smaller hand in his and smiled as reassuringly as he could.

"I look forward to working with you." How did his brain come up with such things? Maybe this was why his father despaired of him finding a wife on his own. 

* * *

The meeting with Elena was fairly straightforward although there was a curiosity in her eyes that Gwen pretended not to notice. She didn't blame Elena - it wasn't everyday that you dealt with such contracts.

"I guess you are all set to become Arthur Pendragon's fake girlfriend." Elena stood as she ushered Gwen from her plush office.

"It can't be that bad right?" Gwen smiled tightly, moving towards the door.

Elena laughed, a light, pleasant one. "I wouldn't know. I'm one of the few women his father hasn't pushed on him. I'm sure you can guess why. Rumour has it that he hasn't actually had a proper, long term girlfriend before." She covered her mouth and gasped. "Oh hush Elena, you shouldn't be gossiping about your clients. Sorry."

"Don't worry. I won't tell." Gwen's smile widened. "I should go. Thank you for everything."

"No problem. I plan to bill him well. Good luck!" With a jaunty wave, Elena closed the door behind Gwen.

And that was it. She was now official girlfriend to Arthur Pendragon and all that entailed. She laughed to herself. Official girlfriend. What a job. If she was very honest, the thought excited her a little. It would be nice to not have to live hand to mouth for a while and perhaps even indulge herself in things she hadn't been able to for the past year. She could even make more trips back to see her father and give him more creature comforts. So what if it meant having to make public appearances with the Pendragon prince and perhaps have her photo in a tabloid or two? How hard could it be?

Deep in thought, she didn't notice the figure lurking at the entrance of the law firm. Slamming into him, her bag fell to the floor and spilled open, all her books and papers spilling out onto the floor. She swore under her breath and looked up to glare at the clumsy fool.

It was Arthur.

"It seems like I don't have the most graceful girlfriend," he smiled crookedly as he bent down to help her gather her things.

Slightly miffed at his comment, she snapped, "Are you regretting this already? We can call it off right now."

"And let you pocket $120,000 for doing nothing? I didn't earn my position in Pendragon Hotels by throwing away money like that." He grinned as he passed her bag to her. His fingers brushed against hers and she shivered. He might have shivered too but she couldn't be sure.

"So. Hi." His teasing mood faded and awkwardness entered his voice.

"Hi?" She looked at him, all tall, handsome and rich, the sun highlighting his blond hair, and she wondered, not for the first time, why he couldn't get an actual girlfriend.

Arthur was blushing, his hands stuffed in his pockets. "Umm. I take it you've signed the contract?"

"Yes. Are you here to see Elena?"

"Actually, I thought, well, that since we are now officially -" he trailed off and the blush became darker. He made an odd movement with his hands. "you know, together, we could have lunch."

"Huh."

"Not that you have to," he hurriedly said. "Well, actually you do but I don't really -"

"Sure. I can do lunch," she replied quickly, wanting to put him out of his misery. Maybe this was why he couldn't get a girlfriend. It was a little cute. "Lead the way my lord."

He frowned at her. "My lord?"

"You are known in the tabloids as the Pendragon prince."

"Oh. That's true. I asked them to stop but, well, you know how they're like."

Gwen looked at him and shook her head in amusement. "No I don't actually. We don't all lead your life."

The flush on his face returned and he nodded curtly before turning away. "Let's go."

The journey to the restaurant was taken in silence. She stole glances at him now and then but he seemed determined to stare out of the car's window. No one would believe they had been dating for months. Not that she cared really. If he wasn't going to make an effort, then neither would she.

Like the previous restaurant they were at, this one was another exclusive, high-end restaurant that served tiny portions of food on large plates. As Gwen tucked into her starter, she thought she could easily get used to such a lifestyle.

"Maybe we should come up with a story of how we met," she suggested between mouthfuls.

"Good idea. You're really enjoying your food aren't you? I've not seen anyone eat so enthusiastically or as much as you."

Swallowing her food quickly, she tried to stifle her laugh. "It's a good thing you're not actually dating me. I mean in a space of two hours, you've said I'm clumsy and that I eat too much. Is this why you can't seem to find a real girlfriend? Some sort of foot in the mouth disease?"

"What? No!" His cutlery clattered on the table. "I'm just not interested I guess."

"Oh!"Gwen stared at him in surprise. What did not interested mean? "Well then."

"Anyway, let's talk about how we met."

That was a good conversation topic and the awkwardness between them faded slightly as they chatted. Coming up with a story was a little more difficult than she anticipated. Arthur had strange ideas about romance and for some reason seemed to want to make their history more complicated than it needed to be.

"Why do we have to meet in the rain at some sidewalk outside a cafe? Do you even go to cafes?"

"It's romantic isn't it? I saw it in that movie Morgana dragged me to last week. We could have shared an umbrella too."

"We are not living in a movie, Arthur. And you're so awkward so I doubt that would have happened."

"I am not!" And Arthur looked really offended by her assessment but if his little attempt to ask her for lunch was any indication, he definitely was.

"Let's just say Merlin introduced us, which is quite close to the truth."

"I like the rain idea better." Arthur pouted, slumping into his seat and crossing his arms.

She could pout as well and so she did. In the battle of the pouts, it was Arthur who eventually backed down, grudgingly agreeing that they met through Merlin.

She had only met Arthur three times and already she was wondering how this was the arrogant, confident, shrewd business man she read about in the tabloids. So far, he had been polite and quite nice but not what she had imagined in her head. In her head, he was powerful, dominating and clear about what he wanted. This man opposite her didn't seem to have the same sort of self-assurance.

He did continue to look quite delicious though with his soft, blond hair and piercing blue eyes. The moment that thought popped into her head, she knew she was blushing.


	2. Chapter 2

If someone had told Gwen that she would find herself sitting on a plush sofa in a penthouse right in the middle of the city watching X-Factor and discussing it in all seriousness with one of the richest man in the country, she would have laughed. She would also have laughed if they said that she would have that same man sitting awkwardly in her tiny apartment, eating takeout with her and Merlin. But in the one week since she signed her name on the contract, that's what she and Arthur had done, in the name of getting to know each other. With his hectic schedule, meeting up had not been easy and she wondered if that was the reason for his single hood.

Tonight though was different. So far, they had kept their association low key, hanging out mainly in the tiny apartment she shared with Merlin, getting to know each other. Tonight, they were finally going out together, into the eye of the storm, to grace the opening night of some fancy Art Museum. Not only were the press going to be there, Arthur's father was too.

"What do you think?" Gwen stepped out from her bedroom to where Merlin was idly reading a magazine. "Do you think this is fancy enough?"

"It looks good on you. I'm sure it'll be fine."

Gwen sighed. "I don't know. I was just online looking at what people wear to such things and well, this seems a little plain. Maybe I should have bought a new dress. What am I doing Merlin? I don't even know how to behave at such things. When the flashlights go off, I'm just going to cower and make a fool of myself and Arthur."

"Don't be silly." Merlin walked up to her and gave her a hug. "You look wonderful and you're a great person Gwen. Arthur should be proud to have you on his arm. And think of the money."

"Right. Think of the money."

Merlin laughed and gave her a light shove towards her bedroom. "Go on. Finish up. Arthur will be here soon."

"He's going to take one look at me and demand his money back," she groaned.

She was in her room when she heard the knock and her heart started to race. Having seen lots of photos of Arthur at various events, she knew he was going to look polished, put together and gorgeous. Maybe she should have put a little more thought into this evening instead of waiting till the last minute. Were any of those fancy boutiques open at this hour?

"Arthur's here!" Merlin yelled. Smoothing her dress, Gwen took a deep breath and walked out of her room.

"You hate it, don't you?" Gwen fidgeted with the hem of her dress. While he had stood from the sofa the moment she appeared, he said nothing and instead stared at her, a slight frown on his face.

"Uh," he replied and Gwen's brows furrowed as she caught Merlin rolling his eyes. For all she knew, that grunt might have been a sign of disapproval of her dress.

"Ok, I have one more red dress. It's a bit more revealing but it could be a little more -"

"No, no. This is fine." Finally Arthur managed to say something. "You look different."

"Um, thanks?"

"Ok. Now that we've gotten all that out of the way, you two should go." Tossing her shawl at her, Merlin hurried them out of the apartment.

"You seem eager for us to leave. Wait, is William coming over?"

Merlin simply smiled then shut the door behind them.

"Confine your activities to your own bedroom!"

Once they stepped out of her apartment building, Arthur stopped her.

"I got you something. I should have given it to you upstairs but Merlin seemed so eager to chase us out." He dug into his jacket for a while before finally dragging out a long box. Opening it, he presented her with an exquisitely gorgeous necklace, dripping with precious stones. "May I?"

It probably cost more than what she had on and her clutch but she turned anyway. His fingers brushed gently against her neck as he fastened the necklace. The tension that had been building since he first entered the apartment this evening just grew. She was going to be a nervous wreck by the time they got to the opening.

"Thank you. It's lovely." What else was there to say?

The moment the car door was opened, flash lights greeted her. Gratefully, she grabbed Arthur's hand as they walked towards the entrance of the Art Museum. As if he understood how overwhelmed she felt, he tucked her close to his side and led her past the reporters.

Things calmed down once they entered the museum. Still holding her hand, Arthur introduced her to his friends and colleagues. And for the first time, she saw glimpses of the arrogant, confident Arthur that she hadn't seen before.

"Gwaine, this is Gwen. Gwen, this is Gwaine, resident playboy and head of the accounts department."

"So pleased to meet you Gwen. You're far too lovely for Arthur." Gwaine grinned mischievously as he shook her hand.

"Cut it off Gwaine. There are tons of other girls who might find you attractive here."

"If you ever decide to leave Arthur, give me a call."

Arthur's arm tightened around her waist.

"Speaking of calls, Percival called me last night to tell me that Cenred has been sniffing around that plot of land you want." Immediately Gwaine became serious and she felt Arthur tense next to her.

"I swear there must be a mole somewhere in the office. How would Cenred know we are interested in that piece of land otherwise? And why is Percival calling you and not me?"

"Maybe because you're a pain to talk to sometimes. Alright, the bar is calling me. See you around princess." Gwaine winked at her before walking away.

"Trouble at work?"

"Tell me about it. We've been trying to expand but Cenred of Paramount Hotel Management has been really good at blocking us. Oh, my father is here."

Gwen looked up and watched with increasing wariness as the very unfriendly looking Uther Pendragon made his way over to them.

"Arthur. This must be the girlfriend you have been talking about."

"Hi, I'm Guinevere Thomas." Putting on a brave front, she stuck out her hand and plastered a big smile on her face.

"And I'm Uther. I'm glad to finally meet the girl who has captured my son's heart. But I'm sad to say that Arthur hasn't really told me much about you. Why don't you excuse us Arthur while I get to know Guinevere here a bit more."

"No, dad. I'm not leaving Gwen alone with you."

Uther smiled coldly. "That wasn't a request. This is a public place. What can I possibly do? I just want to chat with this lovely girl for a while. Surely she can handle that."

"I'll be fine Arthur." She didn't feel good about it but she also didn't want to get involved in a father-son argument.

She watched as Arthur leaned over, wondering if he was about to kiss her. He didn't. Instead, he whispered in her ear. "Wave if you need me."

"So, Mr Pendragon. What can I do for you?" Gwen smiled as Arthur walked off.

"Tell me about yourself. What do you do?"

It was possibly the worst conversation of her life. No, it wasn't a conversation, more like an interrogation. And with a sinking heart, she realized that Uther was looking at her with greater and greater disapproval. By the time Uther looked like he was about to let her go, she half expected him to tell her to stop seeing his son because she wasn't good enough. It was a good thing she wasn't really in love with Arthur.

He didn't.

"Well, you are not the girl I would have chosen for my son but frankly, since he's been so fussy, I'm just glad he found someone. Perhaps you will grow into a Pendragon."

She stared at Uther as he walked away abruptly, slightly baffled. Then she turned to seek Arthur out. It took her a while but she soon spotted him standing near one of the art pieces. He wasn't alone.

"Ah, that's Vivian."

"Gwaine!"

"Gwen. You look like you could use a drink." He passed her a cocktail. "Surely, if you've been dating Arthur for months, he would have told you about her?"

"No. He's never mentioned her."

Gwaine made a sound of surprise but didn't offer any more information and as curious as she was, it didn't seem right to press.

"So Arthur huh? And you've been seeing each other for a while?"

She nodded as she sipped the cocktail, hoping it would ease her nerves.

"If he's introducing you to his father, he must be quite serious about you then. It's a good thing, after the whole Vivian fiasco - oh. Here I am, running my mouth off again. Remember if Arthur and you don't work out, give me a call." Gwaine pressed a name card in her palm, gave a little bow before darting off.

The uncertainties she felt before the party came flooding back to her as she stood watching it happen around her. Everyone was impeccably dressed with clothes that obviously did not come off a rack at a discount store. They dripped with jewellery and money. Even the waiters were dressed in uniforms that probably cost more that what she had on, including the necklace Arthur gave her.

"Ms Thomas, I believe." A young man sidled up to her and smiled insincerely. Wary, she nodded, making sure to keep an eye on Arthur so that should anything seem to be going wrong she could wave, yell or something to get his attention. "You're Mr Pendragon's girlfriend I heard."

Gwen nodded, shuffling slightly away. While she didn't want to offend any of Arthur's peers, she also didn't exactly want to talk to them. Plus it seemed to her quite rude that people thought it was fine to come up to her and question her about her relationship with Arthur.

"How long have you been dating him?"

"How is that your business? I don't even know you."

"Oh, Arthur never mentioned me? I'm a friend of his, Nathan. Pleased to meet you." He offered her his hand and she shook it reluctantly.

"You must be very secure in your relationship if you're ok with him talking to Vivian."

Gwen frowned. What was going on between Arthur and Vivian? "I'm his girlfriend. Not his keeper."

Nathan continued making comments and asking her questions about her relationship with Arthur until Gwen could no longer contain her annoyance. Just as she was about to open her mouth and tell him off for being so nosy, she saw Arthur walking towards her. She had never seen such anger in his eyes before and she cringed inside.

"Leave Gwen alone." His voice was cold, he pulled himself up and suddenly he wasn't the slightly awkward man she had seen the past week.

"I was just -"

"I know what you're doing. You want something juicy, you talk to me. Don't sneak around and don't take advantage of Gwen. You should leave before I throw you out."

Nathan shrugged before turning to her. "Thank you for the lovely interview."

Closing her eyes, Gwen groaned inwardly. What a fool she was. She should have known he wasn't really Arthur's friend. And now, on their first public date she had already broken their contract. She felt him take her hand and she looked up at him.

"It's fine. You didn't know. He's a sneaky bastard. I shouldn't have left you alone anyway when you don't know anyone."

"I wasn't very nice to him." She might as well confess now. In her head, she could already see the headlines - Pendragon Prince's Curt Girlfriend - fine, maybe she wasn't a whizz with snappy headlines but she didn't think it would be good publicity for Arthur.

Arthur grimaced. "Well, it's over. I'll get Leon to run damage control tomorrow if need be."

"Now I know why you need to hire a girlfriend."

"Hush." But he was smiling down at her and for some reason, her stomach clenched. "Do you want to leave?"

"It's not over yet."

Shrugging, he walked over to the exit. "I doubt we'll be missed."

Gwen was pretty certain people would notice Arthur's disappearance but he seemed determined to get away and she really wasn't opposed to that at all so she let him lead her out of the museum into the cool night air.

"And suddenly I feel like I can breathe," she laughed, the tension she had been feeling the whole evening easing. Then her stomach growled. "How about we go get some supper?" 

* * *

Eating a greasy kebab from a shop that didn't look like it could pass any health inspection wasn't really his idea of supper but apparently, that was Gwen's idea of supper. And, he had to admit, the kebab was quite delicious. There was something to be said about walking through the park in the middle of the night while munching on kebab.

"My dad wasn't awful to you?"

"Not really. He did make it quite clear that I was far from who he would have chosen as your wife though."

As he studied her in the moonlight, he wondered if she would be someone he would choose for his wife. Merlin had nothing but good things to say about her and so far, he'd learnt nothing to contradict that. While she rarely suffered fools, she had been nothing but kind and caring in the last week and he had to admit that although takeout was not his preferred meal and sitting in a tiny apartment around an even tinier table was not how he liked to take his dinner, it was a fun evening. To be quite honest with himself, he quite liked Gwen.

That thought put a smile on his face. Better to pretend-date someone he liked than someone he couldn't stand. Perhaps he owed Merlin a bonus.

"What's so amusing?"

Shaken out of his thoughts, he looked down at Gwen who was staring at him suspiciously as she licked her fingers clean.

"You. Haven't you heard of tissue paper?"

She shrugged. "This bag is so tiny, it's amazing that I could even put my phone in."

Sighing, he extracted his handkerchief and passed it to her.

"This is so posh," she laughed as she took it and wiped her hands.

"Ew, no. You can have it." He pushed her outstretched hand away as she tried to return the handkerchief to him.

Somehow, that only amused her furthur and she continued to laugh. "It has your initials on it even. Wow."

He wasn't quite sure what to say to that so he continued walking with her along the edge of the river. After a while, the silence bugged him but Gwen seemed quite happy, her steps light. He needed to say something, start a conversation before the silence suffocated him.

"It's quite cold."

"Are we really talking about the weather? That's rather cliched isn't it?" He heard the teasing in her voice but he tensed nevertheless, his brain searching desperately for something witty to say. Why did he always not know what to say with her?

She bumped him. "I was just teasing. It is quite cold. A gentleman would offer his coat." As if to make her point, she shivered, rubbing her hands on her arms.

He couldn't help the smile that formed on his face as he shrugged out of his jacket. "Here you go." He draped it around her shoulders but she moved and it slid onto the ground. Gwen burst into laughter and bent down to retrieve it at the same time he did. The heads knocked together. And maybe it was the tension of it all, but the two of them found themselves on the damp ground, hands tangled in a jacket and laughing, over what, Arthur wasn't quite sure.

"Maybe this is a sign we should go home," Gwen gasped between laughter.

Pulling her from the ground, Arthur nodded. Somehow it seemed natural to put his arm around her shoulder. She didn't protest and Arthur would swear that she actually snuggled into his embrace.

It was nice.


	3. Chapter 3

"I thought I told you to hold all calls Merlin!" Arthur grumbled as he picked up the phone. "What is it?"

"Umm, it's me. Gwen."

"Oh. Gwen. Hi. Is something wrong?" He gripped the phone tighter, worry growing in him. They hadn't seen each other since their first public appearance. He wasn't sure about her but he had been swamped with work and there never seemed to be a good reason to seek her out. If she was calling him -

"Nothing really. I just thought I'd tell you that I'm going to be out of the city this weekend. Visiting my dad."

"Ah right."

"Ok."

Again, silence descended on them.

"Um, so how have you been?" That wasn't too bad, Arthur thought.

"Fine. Merlin says you've been really busy. Is it that Cenred problem?" That she remembered that made him smile.

"Yeah. It's been complicated."

"Don't work too hard. It's not good. Merlin says you don't even take lunch sometimes."

A strange warmth filled him and his smile widened at the thought that she discussed him with Merlin. It was nice having someone care about him. "There are snacks in my office. Chips. Coke -"

"You eat like a five year old!" Her laugh filled his ear and suddenly, despite the amount of work he had to get through, he wanted to keep her on the phone, making him smile and distracting him from the burdens of his job.

"I do not!"

She laughed again. "I'll leave you to your work then. Bye!"

"Bye. Oh Gwen -"

"Hmm?"

"Take care of yourself. And if you need anything -"

"Yeah. Ok. You too." The click that ended the phone call sounded in his ear and he put his phone down, a mix of pleasure and disappointment in him.

The rest of the week continued in the same stressful manner and he barely had time to think of anything other than work. If he wasn't arguing with his father over how something should be done, then he was in constant discussions with those he trusted most about how to flush out the mole in the company. Initially it was few minor contracts that Cenred had pipped them to and while that in itself was not suspicious, how he managed to win those contracts were. Now, the stakes were higher and Arthur was determined to make sure that Cenred did not win again. And so he spent most of his days and nights mired in work.

He was re-reading a document detailing some research he had done when the knock came.

"Who is it?" He didn't remember an appointment and, glancing at his watch, it was lunch time. Not exactly the usual time for an appointment.

The door eased open slowly and Gwen poked her head in.

"Hi."

"Gwen!" He scrambled from his seat to stand, then wondered why he did that. So he sat again.

She blinked at him. Then smiled as she dropped a bag on his table, on top of his very important research documents. Immediately, he snatched them away, much to her astonishment.

"Oh sorry. I thought I'd bring you some lunch. Merlin's concerned that you've not been eating well and I thought since I was going for lunch with him, I could drop off something for you to eat."

He peered into the bag. "A greasy kebab is considered eating well?"

A mischievous smile appeared on her face. "It tastes better than it looks."

"That's what you said about the last kebab."

"And was I wrong?"

"No," he conceded. "Thank you."

"It's no problem. Wouldn't want my pretend boyfriend to die before I can collect all my money." She grinned at her words but for some reason, they annoyed him. Her smile faded. "Alright then. I better go." She waved slightly and turned to leave.

"Gwen!" She turned back and looked at him curiously. "How's your father?"

The cheerful demeanor she spotted fell for a brief moment before she pulled herself together again. "He's still alive but the treatment doesn't seem to be doing much. I don't know. Next month, we're going to seek another opinion."

"If you need anything -"

"I know. And it's sweet of you but I can handle this. You look like you have a ton of work to do. I should let you get back to it."

For two months, they went out for the occasional dinner to keep up appearances. Otherwise, she only saw Arthur when she went down to meet Merlin for their twice-weekly lunch and popped into his office to pass him food. What started out as a whim when she passed the kebab shop she and Arthur ate at that night on her way to see Merlin soon turned into a habit. On her lunch break, as she walked from her office to Merlin's, she would pick up something for Arthur to eat, pop into his office, have a quick chat with him before going off with Merlin for lunch. In fact, on the one day that Arthur wasn't at his office, Gwen actually felt disappointed. Disappointed that she just wasted money on his lunch, she told herself.

"Hey, lunch!" She pushed open the door to see Arthur starring out of the window. By now, she knew it meant he was having a bad day. "Are you alright?"

He whipped around, then smiled when he saw her. "Oh yes. And what do I get today?"

"A sandwich."

"You know you don't have to do this."

"I know. But it's no trouble. Plus, you're paying me a hefty sum of money to essentially do nothing. The least I could do was play the doting girlfriend by visiting you here."

"Ah, well, you'll soon earn your money. There's a business dinner I have to attend next week and since it's part social, they'll expect to see you there."

"Ok. Just give me the details."

"And my dad wants you to come for dinner at home one of these days."

That made her pause but it was in the contract that she couldn't say no. "Oh. Right."

He walked around his desk and towards her, placing a hand on her shoulder. "It'll be fine. I think we've gotten to know each other quite well recently so it shouldn't be too hard to pretend we're in love."

Gwen supposed Arthur was right. "Let me know when and I'll be ready."

"Great."

"Great," she repeated. When he dropped his hand, stared at her but said nothing, she dipped her head and darted out of the office.

This time, she used some of the money to buy herself a new dress, telling herself she couldn't possibly wear the same dress again. It was a little more pricey than anything she had ever bought before but Gwen thought she looked quite nice in it.

Merlin thought so too as he whistled, leaning against her door jamb.

"You look nice," Gwen said as she looked at the suit-clad Merlin.

"So do you."

Turning her back to him so he could help her zip up the dress, Gwen said, "I'm glad you're coming. At least this time I'll have someone to talk to as Arthur makes his rounds. And maybe then I won't unwittingly speak to reporters."

"The Pendragon Prince's Petulant Princess."

"Shut up Merlin. And I was hardly petulant."

He laughed. "I quote 'not as warm or charming as the young Pendragon's previous girlfriends'. Oh Gwen, what I would have given to be a fly on the wall."

"Merlin! The article came out weeks ago. Stop bringing it up." Gwen stopped fussing with her hair and looked at an amused Merlin. Then she sighed. "Was one of those girls Vivian?"

"Arthur mentioned her?"

Gwen shook her head. "But others do."

"It was a brief, passionate relationship. They met, fell in lust and then she dumped him. Don't think it was one of his better experiences. She regretted it pretty quickly as well."

She remembered Arthur and Vivian standing together in the art gallery, her hand on him, chatting. "Do you think he still loves her?"

"He's not really the kind to tell me about his emotions. Although he's more than willing to tell me what he feels about me though. If I didn't know he had been under a lot of stress, I would have quit already."

"You would never quit. You like working for him too much." Gwen gave Merlin a little shove before she wandered off to the living room to grab her bag. Arthur was always on time and she didn't want to keep him waiting.

The knock came and the butterflies started in her stomach. She didn't even know why.

He had flowers in his hands which he sort of shoved at her when she opened the door. Thankfully her reflexes were quick enough to grab them before they fell onto the floor.

"Smooth," she muttered as she turned to put them in a vase.

"Sorry." At the door, he stood staring at her. Then he gulped, "Uh, you look nice."

Gwen could feel a blush rise in her but ignored it. "You, Arthur Pendragon are the least smooth rich guy I know."

"I'm the only rich guy you know!"

Before she could say anything, Merlin came out of his room. "Hey. Shall we make a move?"

Arthur smiled and offered her his arm. "Smooth enough for you?"

Shaking her head, she laughed and slip her hand into the crook of his elbow.

The second time round, meeting Arthur's family, friends and colleagues was much easier. His half-sister Morgana, head of the legal department, had just returned from a trip around Asia and while friendly, did regard her with some suspicion. She met a few more of his department heads, all of whom generally seemed quite nice. The chat around the table she was at was light-hearted and Gwen found herself generally enjoying their company.

It did help that it was a private affair and there was no danger of lurking reporters. Plus Merlin was around although he would have been much more useful if he hadn't been spending so much time with Gwaine at the corner of the room. Gwen stared at the two of them, watching with narrowed eyes as Gwaine touched Merlin's hand, then thigh and Merlin leaned towards him.

"Merlin and Gwaine huh?" Arthur slid into the chair next to her. "No wonder Gwaine kept popping up to my office recently."

"Merlin never told me anything," grumbled Gwen. "And to think I'm supposed to be his best friend."

"Dessert is being served. Maybe that will cheer you up."

She grinned up at him. "Sometimes I think you know me too well." Arthur smiled widely in response.

A waiter gently placed the plate of red velvet cake in front of her, but before she could tuck in, Arthur was already offering her a forkful of his. Her eyes fluttered up to meet his as she opened her mouth so he could feed her his cake. For some reason, she found herself unable to look away from him, with his soft eyes and slight smile.

"I'm not a big fan of dessert," he said, his voice low, as he fed her another piece. "You might as well have mine." And suddenly the rest of the dinner party disappeared and it felt like it was just the two of them on one of their regular dinners. When he lifted his napkin and wiped the corner of her lips, she swallowed as her heart threatened to burst out of her chest.

Pullling away from him and focusing on the rest of the table, Gwen shook away the dangerous thoughts in her head. There had been more and more moments like that during the few dinners they shared but this had been the longest yet.

They were just pretending, she told herself sternly. That stirrings of attraction she felt towards him and these strange moments were just her imagination gone wild. Perhaps awkward Arthur was a lot better actor than she gave him credit for, a thought that solidified when she noticed Morgana teasing him about being besotted.

"I'm not going back to the apartment just yet, so umm, don't wait up?" Merlin sheepishly smiled at her as Gwaine hovered in the background.

She tried, unsuccessfully, to glare angrily at him. "Don't do anything I wouldn't."

"That's not a very long list." Merlin teased. "You be good too." He added seriously, looking over at Arthur. "Don't forget - you know. I know he can be, well, attractive."

"Just go Merlin."

As him and Gwaine walked away, Gwaine raised a hand and she waved back.

An arm slipped around her waist and instinctively, she leaned into Arthur. This was a very bad thing but it was too late to move away. "Shall we go as well?" His breath tickled her ear.

She agreed and they said their goodbyes before heading back to Gwen's place.

They made small talk the journey back but a strange tension shimmered between them. For some reason, her fingers were still entwined in his and neither made any move to break the contact. Had this been a normal date, she might have invited him back to her apartment but this wasn't a normal date.

The car pulled up in front of her building and they both stepped out.

"This was much better than the first one," she murmured. "No surprise press."

"Yeah. It probably helped that my father wasn't there as well."

"Yeah."

"I'll walk you up." He reached to take her hand.

She panicked and jerked away. "No. I'll be fine."

The smile on his face faded, his hand dropped and he shoved them into his pockets, staring at her quietly. "Alright then."


	4. Chapter 4

The next time he got himself a pretend girlfriend, it would be someone he wouldn't like. Then he wouldn't be in this state of confusion. He wasn't quite sure what one did when one started to get funny feelings in his stomach whenever he thought of one's pretend girlfriend. Which explained why he was seated outside Elena's office.

"Arthur Pendragon. To what do I owe this visit?"

"I need to talk about that contract."

Elena raised her eyebrows then ushered him into her office. "I'm Ms Thomas's lawyer. Not yours. Why can't Kay handle this?"

"It's sort of personal." Arthur looked away, feeling heat rising in his cheeks. "I'm not discussing my love life with Kay."

"Oh! Well. I suppose I should have seen it coming."

"See what coming?"

"You falling for her. She's lovely. That's why you're here. You don't know what to do."

Settling himself into the seat across from Elena, Arthur frowned. "It's not that I don't know what to do -"

"Does she feel the same way? This is like something out of a romance novel!" Arthur groaned when Elena clapped her hands in glee.

"My life is not a romance novel!" He slumped into his seat and folded his arms. "But to answer your question, I don't know how she feels."

"Your contract doesn't have any sort of no falling for each other clause. Why are you here? Just court her. Do what you usually do. Then if you two decide that the relationship is for real, then just throw away the contract. What's so difficult about that?"

She made it seem so easy.

Understanding dawned on Elena's face. "You're not really here for advice on the contract. You don't know what to do with your feelings!" She giggled and Arthur glared at her, shifting uncomfortably in his seat.

"It doesn't seem right to court her when she's under contract to go out with me whenever I need her to."

"Then you need to break the contract first," Elena pointed out quite matter-of-factly. "She won't be disadvantaged if you initiate it. Of course, I have no idea how you're going to explain this to anyone without revealing you paid her to be your girlfriend. Here's a piece of advice - keep that out of the tabloids. You can probably withstand the negative press. I don't know if she can."

"Damn."

"I like Gwen. And if you like her too, then don't let this chance slip away."

Elena's words echoed in his head as he worked late that night. He liked Gwen a lot and he wished desperately that he had met her earlier and hadn't gotten her involved in this pretend game. Every time she laughed, whether at his awkward nervousness around her or with him, his heart jumped. He looked forward to seeing her the few times a week she brought lunch for him, even if the lunch was usually some random, greasy takeaway and he could easily get much better food delivered. The way he saw it, he had two choices. He could terminate the contract now, attempt to develop a relationship with her or he could wait out the year.

By the time he reached his apartment in the wee hours of the morning, he'd made up his mind. Nine months was a long time to wait and he really didn't want to.

"Fish and chips?" Gwen's head popped round the door at lunch.

"Sounds yummy," he said absently as he stared at the sheet of figures Merlin just gave him. Something was wrong but he couldn't figure out what.

"Trouble?" She walked closer to his desk and placed his lunch down.

Dropping the papers he held, he sighed and smiled up at her. "The figures don't make sense. Cenred is up to something and I don't know what."

"Sorry I can't be of any help."

"Wait. How about dinner tonight? I could use a break from all this."

"I have plans actually but I can cancel -"

"No. Tomorrow instead?"

She nodded, then after a few more words, she left for lunch with Merlin. As he watched the two of them walk off arm in arm, he couldn't help the jealousy the knotted in his stomach. Determined, he picked up the phone to make arrangements for dinner the next day.

Although Arthur told her that he would pick her up, Gwen insisted that she would make her way to his office instead. He was sorting out some documents when he heard the rap on his door followed by it opening and Gwen walking in.

She had obviously been home and dressed up for their dinner. The usual warmth spread in him when she smiled and he quickly stuffed the papers back into the folder, grabbed his jacket and walked out with her. When she silently slipped her hand into the crook of his elbow, he grinned and pulled her closer to him.

Appertiser was spent on idle chit chat and when the waiter came and took away their empty plates, Arthur gathered his courage. Gwen was obviously in a good mood and the food had been lovely. Nervously, he reached over to take her hand. Unfortunately, his nerves meant he knocked over the salt shaker, making Gwen laugh as she attempted to clean the table with her napkin.

Quickly, he placed his hand over hers.

"Gwen."

Immediately he felt her tense as she let go of her napkin. A waiter surreptitiously cleared the mess.

"Is something wrong?"

He had rehearsed something earlier but now, staring into her concerned eyes, his mind went blank. Had this been work-related, he would have known to stop, reorganise his thoughts before plunging in. But this wasn't work-related and he was nervous.

"I want to cancel the contract."

Confusion coloured her eyes, then he thought he saw hurt but it was quickly masked when she looked down. Just at that moment, the main course was served. Neither of them touched it.

"Have I done something wrong?"

"No, no. You've been great." He rushed to assure her. "And if you're worried about not getting the money, the contract says -"

"Then why? Is your father that unhappy with me?"

"It has nothing to do with my father."

"You don't need a girlfriend anymore?"

"Not really. I mean - the thing is I don't want a pretend girlfriend anymore because -"

"I see. You know, it's not my place to ask why. I mean if you want to back out, then that's fine. It's your money."

He could see she was getting the wrong end of the stick and he panicked. "Gwen, no. Listen to me."

"Go on. But really if you've found someone, there's -"

"Gwen. Please. I want to terminate the contract because I -"

Her phone rang and she glanced at the screen. "It's my father's nurse." Quickly, she answered the phone. She said yes a lot but the expression on her face spoke volumes. Something was very wrong. He signalled for the bill as she continued her hushed conversation.

When she finally put down the phone, he looked at her expectantly, dread pooling in his stomach. Her eyes were wet and even before she said the words he knew what was wrong. Standing, he eased her out of her chair, wrapped an arm around her and walked her to his car.

Once inside, he turned to her. "Tell me. What do you need?"

"My father - he's gotten worse. I need to get to him."

"Ok. I'll drive you home, you pack a bag, sort out your work stuff and I'll be back in an hour to drive you to your father."

She looked shocked, then shook her head. "No, I can't ask that of you. You have work and -"

"Gwen," he took her hands, rubbing them when he realised how cold they were, "nothing is more important than you ok?"

He could see a question in her eyes but this wasn't the time to discuss his feelings. Instead, he turned away and started the car. Neither of them spoke to each other on the drive back, although Gwen was busy on her phone, texting and calling various people. He could feel her fear and worry.

"An hour ok? Wait for me here."

Rushing back to his apartment, he grabbed an overnight bag before driving back to Gwen's. She was already on the sidewalk, waiting for him.

"Thank you," she said as she slid into the car and he nodded in response.

"You'll have to tell me where to go."

She gave him directions and then they sat in silence as he drove through the city. Occasionally he would glance at her staring out of the window, deep in thought. What he would give to ease the pain she was clearly feeling.

"Arthur?"

"Hmm? Are you alright?"

"Yes. What did you mean when you said nothing was more important than me?"

He hesitated, almost regretting his words. But she was looking at him and expecting an answer. "Exactly that." His voice dropped and he tensed.

"I -"

"Look, it isn't important. Your father is."

She frowned. "I know but we have an hour's drive at least. You wanted to say something about the breaking of the contract?"

When he didn't answer immediately, she sighed and turned back to look out of the window.

"I like you Gwen. That's why I have to break the contract."

"Is there a clause that says we can't like each other? Because I don't -"

"You're not dumb Gwen." His tone was a little sharp and he quickly glanced at her. She was looking directly at him.

"I - I don't know what to say."

"I'm not asking you to marry me. I was hoping that if we ended the contract, that perhaps we could still see each other, see if perhaps you will feel the same way." He was a bundle of nerves. If she refused him outright, what would he do? He'd have no pretend girlfriend and seemingly no prospect of a real one. "You have more important things to worry about now anyway," he muttered, trying to give the both of them an easy way out.

"Maybe, after this, we could go out now and then." He could hear the tentativeness in her voice but he smiled nonetheless.

"That would be lovely."

"I think so too."

Arthur suspected he drove the rest of the way to her father's house with a silly grin on his face.

* * *

AN: Ah, I'm not actually writing this fast. It's all done (unlike say, pirate). I'm just doing some edits then posting. I just felt like I had to tell you. As usual, I enjoy all your comments. :)


	5. Chapter 5

They arrived close to midnight at Gwen's father's home. Inside, she rushed into his room to see him while Arthur took the bags out of the car. The nurse stood in the living room, staring suspiciously at him.

"Hi." He smiled, trying to come across as friendly as possible.

"That is a very expensive car."

Taken aback, he nodded in agreement. It was an expensive car.

"Are you Gwen's boyfriend?"

"No. I'm just a friend."

The nurse harrumphed, then walked back into Gwen's father's room, leaving him standing alone. He studied the house in which Gwen grew up. There were pictures of her at various ages all over with her parents. It seemed she had a brother and Arthur wondered why she never mentioned him. He heard the door open and he turned to see Gwen walk out, her face streaked with tears. Silently, he crossed over to her. She hesitated for a while then threw herself into his arms. Stroking her hair, he murmured nonsensical words of comfort.

"How is he?" Arthur asked when Gwen finally pulled away.

"Not so good. The doctor will be coming over tomorrow so I'll learn more then." She swiped at her eyes and his heart hurt.

Cupping her face, he dragged his thumb across her wet cheek. "Anything that I can do, and you'll be amazed at what money can do, just tell me ok?"

She stepped away from him and nodded. "It's late. You shouldn't drive back home. You can take my bed."

"Where will you sleep?"

A smile curved on her face and she shoved him gently. "Not in the bed with you."

Immediately, heat rose in his cheeks. "No - I didn't mean - Look, maybe -"

Her hand curled around his wrist, cutting his words off. "I'll sleep on the sofa."

"No. I'll take the sofa." He tried to give her a stern expression, signalling he would brook no argument but her smile simply got bigger. Then she tiptoed and kissed his cheek before murmuring a quick thank you.

He stood watching as she walked into what he presumed was her room. When her door closed quietly behind her, he heaved a sigh and settled onto the sofa. It wasn't comfortable at all and he doubted he was going to get much sleep. Grabbing the files he brought with him, he started looking through them, hoping to discover what on earth was going on in his company.

As he thumbed through the papers, what Merlin suggested to him last week popped into his head. Then, he'd simply dismissed what he'd thought were Merlin's ramblings. Now Merlin's 'ramblings' seemed less and less like ramblinges and anger simmered in him. Frustrated and annoyed, he dropped the files onto the ground and held his head in his hands. For years, he had trusted this man and now, if his suspicions were right, this man had been revealing key information to Cenred. And for what?

"Arthur?" A hand touched his shoulder and he whipped around. Hair mussed, Gwen stood in the shadows.

"Gwen? Are you alright?"

She quirked a small smile. "It looks like I should be asking you that. I couldn't sleep. What happened?" Slowly, she eased her way to the sofa and sat next to him.

"Work happened."

"Do you have to leave?" It might be his imagination, but she seemed to have shifted closer to him and he could feel her warmth against his side.

"No. Not now. That is, unless you want me to -"

"Arthur." He was certain now she had shifted closer because her side was pressed against his. "Stay with me tonight? I don't really want to be alone."

"Me neither," he croaked out as he slipped an arm around her.

As much as he wanted to stay with Gwen, he had to return to the office the next day. And so after leaving not-terribly stern instructions to both Gwen and the nurse to call him if anything happened, he found himself disheveled and lacking sleep in his office.

"Tough night?" Merlin popped his head in, no doubt with a list of things he was expected to do today.

"Gwen," he muttered.

Merlin nodded. "She told me about her dad. You've a meeting in about an hour with -"

Waving his arm limply, he shut Merlin up. "Cancel them. Then tell Gwaine, Percival and Leon to see me."

"You want me to tell your father that you're canceling your meeting with him."

Arthur nodded.

"Because?"

"You were right Merlin. Happy?" Arthur slammed the folder he pulled out of his bag on the table.

"Ah."

* * *

The doctor wasn't very optimistic at all. In fact, Gwen thought she was downright pessimistic. But she was supposedly the best in the area and according to her, simply laying out the facts. This fact being that her father didn't have much time left.

She had to find her brother somehow. It was a good thing she had money because as far as she knew, private investigators cost an arm and a leg. Also, she thought as she dug out her phone, Merlin should have some contacts.

Between spending time with her father and arranging his final matters, Gwen hardly had any time to think of Arthur and his revelation that he liked her. But, finally, after her father had nodded off and she settled down in the kitchen with a mug of tea, she was able to think about Arthur. She liked him. She knew that. When he smiled at her, when he stumbled over his words, when he dealt with work in his brisk, confident manner, warmth would fill her. She hadn't felt this way about anyone since Lance and it was simultaneously frightening and exciting. Shaking her head, she wondered what her father would think. He had loved Lance and was almost as crushed as her when the relationship ended. But Lance was charming and had a smooth tongue. Arthur wasn't. He might impress with his money and reputation though.

There was a knock on the door. Puzzled, Gwen padded to the door and peered through. It was Arthur and when her heart jumped at seeing his face, she laughed at herself. She was like a secondary school girl with a crush.

"Arthur! Why are you here?"

"Hey you. How are you?"

She smiled. "Better now that you're here."

"So the two hour drive wasn't for nothing then."

"You must be exhausted!" And he was, falling asleep the moment his head touched the pillow on her sofa. Gwen watched him as he slept. Unable to resist, she pressed a kiss against his forehead, before she retired to her own room.

She was up before him and she spent most of the morning with her father.

"There's someone else here. Is it Elyan?"

"No dad." She took his hand and squeezed it gently. "I'm sure Elyan will come back soon."

"Who is it? Is it Lance?" He started coughing again, and the nurse hurried in, giving Gwen a dirty look before tending to her father.

"No dad. It's not Lance. We've broken up a long time ago remember?"

"He was a good man."

Gwen sighed. This again. "He was but we weren't good for each other."

"You should have followed him to the States."

"And leave you alone here? Anyway, it's over and we're not getting back together."

"You should call him. See how he is. Maybe he's -"

"Dad! Stop it."

Disappointment crossed her father's face before he closed his eyes again. "I want to see you settle down before I go Gwen."

"You're not going anywhere."

His eyes opened again and he looked at her. "There's no point lying to ourselves. The doctor says I won't have much longer, not with this infection. I'm in pain, I haven't been out of bed in forever."

Gwen nodded, feeling the hot rush of tears prickling her eyes again.

"He needs to take his medicine and get cleaned up," the nurse returned to the room and stated firmly.

As she moved to the door, her father called out, "Call Lance!" She sighed and rolled her eyes.

"Lance huh?" Arthur leaned against her kitchen counter, a mug of coffee in his hand. "Here, I made some for you too."

"You know your way around the kitchen! Amazing."

He smiled but it didn't reach his eyes. "I have to go back to work. I was just waiting to say goodbye to you."

"Is everything ok there?"

"Yeah," but Gwen could tell something was troubling him.

"You can tell -"

He shook his head. "You have enough on your plate." Quickly washing his mug, he placed it by the sink then walked away. At the entrance to the kitchen he paused a while, then said quietly, "Maybe you should call Lance."

And that was it. All the myriad emotions swirling in her became too much and she marched up to Arthur, tugging his arm so that he turned back to face her, then poking his chest. "What is wrong with you and my dad? Who are you to tell me what to do? Don't you think if I wanted to call Lance, I would call Lance? Don't you think if I wanted to get back with him, I would do something about it? I don't need your permission. I don't need instructions. I can live my life myself, thank you very much." When she closed her mouth, she realised she was crying.

His face was blank and she took a step back, feeling slightly guilty that she was taking out her frustrations with her father on him. She opened her mouth to apologise but he beat her to it.

"I'm sorry. It wasn't my place."

"I'm sorry too. My dad keeps going on about Lance. I know he wants to see me get married and now that time is running out -"

Arthur laughed. "Perhaps you are the one who needs a pretend boyfriend."

"Perhaps. But I can't afford you." She managed a smile through her tears.

He took her hand and pulled her to him. "I'll do it for free."

"Will you?" Suddenly, somehow, she was very close to him. Just a slight movement and she could kiss him.

"Of course," his voice low and gruff, sending tingles down her spine.

"And maybe, not just for pretense?" All she could hear was her heart and she looked away, unable to continue staring into his gaze.

The kiss was slow, gentle, leisurely and perfect, and Gwen had no idea who initiated it. Not that it really mattered. She allowed herself to sink into his embrace and smile when he pressed small kisses against her jaw, before finally pulling away.

"Is that a yes?" She sighed when they were no longer touching.

"Mmmm," he hummed in agreement as he dropped his head to hers. "Do you need me to stay?"

Someone cleared her throat and Gwen spun around. The nurse eyes them suspiciously before announcing that her father had been washed.

"No. I'll be fine."

Arthur leaned over and pressed a kiss in her hair, then left her standing alone in the kitchen, smiling wistfully.

"Your father?"

"Ah yes. I'll go see him now."

* * *

AN: One more chapter. Yeah, I know it's a short fic. :(


	6. Chapter 6

Some soap opera played on the television in front of him and his documents were strewn all over the coffee table. Arthur rubbed his face and tried to stifle a yawn. It was clear that his uncle was behind all the leaks to Cenred but he could not fathom why. A hand slid over his shoulder and he smiled up at Gwen.

"How's your father?" Arthur put his pen down, then pulled her onto his lap.

"He's the same." Her arms went round his neck, her fingers tangling in his hair and she leaned into him. "Which is good right?"

Arthur nodded. "Did you call the specialist?"

"I did and Dad has an appointment with her next week." Her head lifted from his chest and pressed a kiss on his cheek. "Thank you."

Arthur shrugged. "All I did was make a few phone calls. Merlin did all the research. What day next week?"

"Tuesday. I'm going to take the day off. The train to –"

"Don't be silly. I'll drive you and your father down."

"It'll take the whole day! What about your work?"

"It'll wait." But Gwen's mention of work made him sigh. "So it's 99% confirmed that Aggravaine is the leak in the office."

Gwen's face fell. "I'm sorry. I know you were hoping Merlin was wrong."

A wry laugh escaped Arthur. "As annoying as it is, Merlin seems to rarely be wrong. It's like he has magic or something."

"Your father is asleep," said the nurse as she walked into the living room. By now, Arthur was used to the suspicious look in her eyes, although he was hard pressed to explain it. After all, from what his father told him over and over again, he was supposedly a great catch. "I'll be by tomorrow morning."

Gwen scrambled from Arthur's lap. "Yes, thank you." She closed the door behind the nurse, leaned against it and smiled cheekily at Arthur. "It's just you and me now."

Walking over to her. Arthur placed his hands flat against the door beside her head, leaned down and kissed her gently. Then his forehead pressed against hers. "Oh Gwen –"

He shuddered as her hand smoothed his chest.

"I know. We're both exhausted." But even as she said the words, Arthur could see the disappointment in her eyes. Quickly, she ducked out from under him.

"Gwen –"

She stopped.

"I –"

Her smile was small but genuine. "It's alright Arthur. Honestly, I'm exhausted as well." She paused a little. "You're not planning to drive home right?"

He shrugged. It wasn't that late but after a two hour drive, it would be by the time he reached home.

"You can sleep in my bed." The teasing look she had earlier returned. "With me. Then we can go back into the city together tomorrow morning."

Arthur laughed. "Sounds like a plan."

Her bed was small, and not quite as comfortable as his, but he curled himself around her, his arms wrapped around her waist and closed his eyes, listening to her steady breaths. The moment she'd touched her bed, she'd falled asleep. Arthur smiled, then let his own exhaustion take him.

* * *

"You can't continue like this," said Merlin as he stuffed another bite of his sandwich into his mouth. "You are going to burn out."

Gwen sighed. "I know. Dr Mabuni wants to run more tests but Dad says he just wants to be left alone to die in his home. So he won't move to the hospital. He says I need to just accept that he doesn't have any longer left."

Merlin squeezed her hand. "Arthur mentioned something about getting you a driver."

That only made Gwen feel worse. "He keeps doing all these things for me. He's even mentioned me quitting my job and he'll take care of all the bills and other stuff."

"Sounds great," said Merlin, nochalantly chomping down on the sandwich. "Hey, eat your pasta or Arthur is going to be mad at me."

"It isn't great!" Her fork clattered on the plate. "There's no way I can pay Arthur back for everything."

"I don't think relationships are about paying people back," said Merlin slowly. "And you two are in a relationship right? Arthur is a decent guy, even when he's being a pain at work, and he loves you a lot. Let him help you."

"Does he?" Gwen asked quietly, voicing her fears for the first time.

That stopped Merlin from eating. "Are you actually asking me if he loves you?"

Gwen could feel the heat rising in her cheeks, but it was out now and it would be good to have someone to talk to. "He's never said it."

"Have you?"

"Well, no. It's not just that. He doesn't seem to want to move our relationship further either."

Merlin frowned. "Further? Like, get married? Because with his office crisis and your father, I don't think this is the best time for huge, life-changing decisions like that!"

"No! Not marriage. Other stuff. You know, like physical stuff." Gwen covered her face. "Never mind. I cannot believe I am telling you this."

"You need to talk to Arthur about this, if you are serious about this relationship," Merlin said. Then he took another bite of his sandwich. "Now, eat your lunch."

* * *

"You wanted to see me?" Arthur's uncle stepped into his office.

Looking up from his papers, Arthur gestured for him to sit. "I was hoping to have your advice on these." He pushed a folder towards his uncle, before leaning back into his chair.

"These are the documents for the Essetir land deal."

Arthur nodded.

"Anything in particular you want me to look at?"

"What about page 25? Or maybe page 72?"

"What particularly in those pages?"

Arthur sat forward and pushed another folder forward. "Maybe Cenred's proposal will help you. I've marked the pages for you."

For a while, they stared at each other in silence. Agravaine blinked first. "I don't understand."

Standing, Arthur walked around his desk to where his uncle was seated. "My father didn't trust you but I stood up for you. And this is what you do?" Although his voice was calm, there was an undercurrent of hurt and anger.

"I -"

"Don't. I might have been a fool before but my eyes are open now. Who else was working with you?"

Agravaine stood finally. "No one. I assume I am fired."

"Why?"

"You wouldn't understand."

Turning his back on his uncle, Arthur bit out, "Security will walk you to your office. I don't ever want to see your face again."

He heard his office door close and only then did he let out a breath as he sank into his chair. He'll let Morgana work out the details of what legal action to take against his uncle. Suddenly, he felt the urge to hear Gwen's voice. When he was with her, he could believe that everything would be ok.

Briefly, he worried that she would be busy but he decided, if she was, he would simply hang up quickly. It was silly how his heart jumped as he thought about how he was calling her as her boyfriend. He might have brokered million dollar deals, met the several important people and celebrities but for now, his biggest achievement was getting Gwen to be his girlfriend. He smiled as he picked up the phone.

"Hello."

He grinned. "Gwen."

The conversation was slightly strained but he put that down to the both of them being under a lot of stress. Her father was being difficult about the new tests and while he'd suggested she take time off work, Gwen hadn't and he imagined juggling a job and looking after her father was hard enough.

That evening, as soon as he could, he made the two hour drive down to see Gwen. It was exhausting but he wanted to be with her and honestly, he missed her. The anticipation of seeing her faded and he frowned when he realised that she wasn't alone. An unfamiliar car was parked outside the house. His overactive imagination told him it was Lance, back to win back Gwen with the support of her father. Shaking his head to clear his wayward thoughts, he knocked on the door, with slightly more force than he usually did.

Gwen opened it and the fact that her reaction was to stand on tiptoe and kiss him meant that wasn't Lance inside with her right? Still slightly anxious, he stepped into the house and saw a young handsome man lounging on the sofa he had spent his nights on.

"Arthur, this is my brother Elyan." She gestured to the man on the sofa. Although she was smiling, he could hear unhappiness in her voice. Instinctively he moved to her and slipped an arm around her waist.

"Hi. I'm Elyan."

"I'm Arthur," he smiled. Now that he had a good look at Elyan, he could see the resemblance between the man who stood before him and the boy in the photos.

"Gwen told me about you. You've been good to her."

Arthur nodded, not knowing how to reply to that. "Uh, I bought supper."

Taking the bag from him, Gwen peered into it, a smile growing on her face. "Kebab?"

"Yeah. Comfort food."

The next hour before Elyan decided to leave was possibly the most awkward in Arthur's life. The conversation was stilted and there was obviously some history between Gwen and her brother. Oh they were polite on the surface but Gwen was tense and Elyan bubbled with resentment. For a brief moment Arthur regretted coming. He had tried to make his escape but Gwen had taken his hand and pleaded with her eyes for him to stay. And so he did, as uncomfortable as it was. He almost gave a shout of relief when Elyan finally stood and made to leave, informing Gwen that he would be back the next day.

"Sorry about that. I'm glad you were here." They were snuggled on the sofa, his fingers playing with her hair as she talked. "I suppose I owe you an explanation."

"If you want to."

"And then you'll tell me what happened at work?"

"It's a deal."

* * *

The sun woke Arthur up the next day and for a moment, he wondered where he was. He certainly wasn't sleeping on the hard sofa Gwen owned. Then someone moved beside him and he looked down to see Gwen curled against him. He smiled, remembering how they no longer had to sleep on separate bed. Before he could do anything, a sharp knock sounded.

"Ms Gwen? Your father is asking for you."

Gwen muttered something then buried her face deeper into the pillow.

"Ms Gwen!" The knocks came faster and louder. Jumping out of bed, Arthur scurried to the door and pulled it open a crack.

"She's asleep!" He whispered.

The nurse let out a gasp. "What are you doing in there?"

Arthur frowned. Being questioned by a nurse was not exactly what he expected. "I - well - we weren't - this really isn't -"

"He's my boyfriend." Gwen answered sleepily. "I can sleep with him if I want. Tell my father I'll be with him soon."

The door closed. Dragging a hand across her face, Gwen got out of bed. She smiled slightly then mouthed an apology as she left the room, he assumed to wash up. Alone in the room, Arthur felt a little out of place and unsure of what to do. It didn't seem right to poke around her room.

So he made the bed. Or he tried at least because it didn't seem much neater than when Gwen left it.

He was standing at a corner of the room, eyeing his handiwork when Gwen returned. "You going back to work?"

"No. It's Saturday and I think I deserve a break. I was hoping to spend time with you."

She walked into his arms and pressed her face into his chest. "You know I'll be with my father mostly," she murmured.

"Of course. But I'll be around when you need a break. Also, I believe Elyan is coming over again."

"Are you offering to entertain him?"

Arthur chuckled. "In a way. I'm pretty good at social situations when it doesn't involve you, you know."

"It's adorable how flustered you get." She pinched his nose.

"I can't help it. You make me nervous."

Gwen grinned and left his embrace. "I like that a lot. There's food in the fridge and I've taken out a towel for you in the bathroom." Then her smile faded slightly. "Maybe later tonight, if you're still here of course, we could go out for dinner?"

"Are you sure?" Arthur asked. Dragging Gwen out for dinner when she was so tired and stressed seemed like a bad idea. "I could pop out and buy dinner back."

Her smile disappeared completely as she nodded. "That could work too."

As she walked past him, he grabbed her arm. "I know things are rather messed up for both of us at the moment right now but when things settle down -"

"I know Arthur." Except her tone suggested she didn't. "I'm going to have breakfast with Dad."

As the door to the bedroom closed, Arthur wondered what had gone wrong. Had he said or done something? He pushed down the ball of fear that was growing in him and left the bedroom as well.

Gwen was already in the kitchen and the nurse was helping her father into a chair. Maybe the nurse had said something about him. She never did seem to like him.

"Arthur," Tom said quietly. "Come join us."

Gwen glanced up at him and smiled. For a moment, Arthur almost thought he imagined the tension from before. He slid into a chair next to Gwen and stayed quiet as Gwen and her father reminisced about their past. Arthur wondered if Tom was the one who has said something about him. He knew how much Tom loved Lance and while Tom had been polite in Arthur's presence, Arthur had no idea if he even lived up to what Lance had been.

Breakfast was over in a flash, mostly because Arthur was far too preoccupied with worrying over his relationship with Gwen. Gwen stood from the table and took the dirty dishes. Just about to help her, Arthur felt Tom's hand on his.

"Can we talk, without Gwen?" Tom said so softly Arthur had to lean down to hear him.

That ball of fear in his stomach morphed into panic. He swallowed and nodded. "Of course."

Tom closed his eyes and nodded. "Good."

Even the smile Gwen sent him when he joined her at the sink didn't do anything to ease the vague sense of dread that his relationship with Gwen was slipping away and he didn't know how to hold on to it.

* * *

AN: Ahhh. So someone suggested that I lengthen this fic and I couldn't resist the invitation to. And so, I guess, this isn't the end. :)


	7. Chapter 7

Gwen flipped the channels of the television but if it wasn't one cooking show, it was some daytime talk show with people screaming at each other. Despite her best effort, her eyes drifted to the clock above the television. 5 minutes. How could it only have been 5 minutes when it felt like an eternity? She glanced at the closed door, half tempted to barge inside with some random excuse just to find out what the two of them were talking about. Instead, she groaned and picked up a magazine, flipping through it and trying to find some interest in the best way to rid her garden of aphids.

She must have dozed off because when she opened her eyes, Arthur was seated next to her, watching Jamie Oliver with great interest.

"Are you planning to cook me dinner?" she asked teasingly, running one hand up his arm, loving the way she could just touch him now.

"Hmm?" He tore his eyes from the television screen, then smiled down at her. "If you want to chance food poisoning." His smile didn't reach his eyes.

"What did Dad want?"

Arthur shrugged. "Do you think that rich people are inherently not to be trusted?"

"No. Oh god, what did Dad say?"

"Well," said Arthur wryly. "There was the bit in which he threatened to haunt me for the rest of my life if I broke your heart. Then there was the bit in which he waxed lyrical about the exploits of Lance. Did you know that he went off to build wells in some country, all on his own money and wrote a prize winning essay about it? And it all ended with a rather forced, if Gwen chose you, then I accept that." He flashed Gwen a brief smile. "At least he had enough energy to say all that."

Gwen didn't realise her heart could sink so low. "What did you say?"

His arm went around her and she snuggled into him. "I told him that I cared about you a lot and I would never intentionally hurt you, which is true."

Gwen had no idea how much she was hoping that Arthur would say that he told her father that he loved her until this moment, so when he didn't, disappointment swelled in her. "I know it's true," she said quietly.

"Good." For a while, he played with her hair and Gwen thought he'd been sucked back into Jamie Oliver when he spoke. "You know, I do volunteer work too."

She looked up at him and couldn't help but smile at the pout on his face. Reaching up, she dragged a finger along his cheek. "Did you tell Dad that?"

"How would it have sounded? Me playing football with a bunch of kids on the weekend can't compare with abandoning a life to move to another country to build wells." His pout got bigger and he slumped into the sofa. "Lance sounds like the perfect guy."

"Well, the perfect guy for me wouldn't dump me to build wells."

Arthur's arm tightened around her. "He did huh? His loss is my gain."

Gwen smiled, then buried her face into his chest. She felt him kiss her head and her heart swelled, pushing out whatever concerns she had.

* * *

Arthur spent the whole weekend with her, then drove back on Sunday night. Through it all, he had been patient, helpful and loving, so Gwen wasn't sure why she was feeling so antsy about their relationship. Granted, they had only been together for barely two weeks. Yet when she wasn't worrying over her father, she was worrying about why, despite her subtle hints, Arthur showed little signs of wanting to sleep with her or why since they properly started dating, he'd never seem to want to go out in public. At the most inopportune moments, dark thoughts that Arthur was regretting this whole thing would slip into her head and she found them more and more difficult to dislodge.

"This Arthur guy – he's that Pendragon boy isn't he? The one with all the glitzy girlfriends?"

Memories of Arthur's complete awkwardness with her made her smile. People said that a photograph told a thousand words, but Gwen knew that in Arthur's case, all thousand words were lies.

"That's the one," said Gwen said as she ran her hand absently across the blanket that covered her father. "He's a good person."

Her father harumphed. "You are too good for him. These rich, powerful people – all they care about is themselves. Not like Lance. Have you heard from him lately?"

The smile on her face dropped. "Dad. I really like Arthur."

"I just don't want you to get hurt. I'm not going to be here for much longer –"

"Dad! Don't –"

He raised a hand and shook his head, silencing Gwen. "I want to know you're happy, that you will be happy when I'm gone."

"You're not going to be gone because the doctor will figure something out."

A sigh escaped her father, then his hand took hers. "Gwen, you need to accept that I'm going to die."

"No," Gwen shook her head. "No. Elyan is back, Arthur managed to get the specialist to see you. Things will get better!"

"Yes, Gwen," her father squeezed her hand, his smile fond. "Things will be alright."

"It will be," said Gwen with more confidence than she felt. "Everything will be alright. Dr Madeline said -"

"Gwen. I have decided not to undergo the treatment."

"Dad."

"Yes, there is a chance that I will be cured, but the doctor isn't hopeful. It's too late and I don't want to spend my last moments with you in hospitals hooked up to goodness knows what. I want to be here." He patted her hand. "It's my life, Gwen. I know what I'm doing."

"No. I know a cure isn't guarenteed but you have to try Dad!" Tears stung her eyes and Gwen blinked and looked away.

"I may be sick but I'm not insane. I wish things could be different." Slowly, he cupped her face, turning it to face him. "But we can't change it. Just let me spend my last weeks here, with you and Elyan. Please."

Desperately trying to clamp down on the tears that refused to stop, Gwen nodded.

"Now, give me a smile."

She knew her smile barely looked like a smile but her father smiled in return, his thumb storking her cheek. "My darling Gwen," he rasped.

With her father finally asleep, Gwen left his room with a heavy heart, closing the door quietly behind her. After putting on some water to boil and washing her face, she called Arthur, desperate to talk to him. Maybe he could think of a way to persuade her father to take up the treatment. When he didn't answer his phones, Gwen decided to try Merlin.

"Hello?" Slipping the phone between her shoulder and cheek, she carefully poured out a cup of tea. "Merlin? Can you pass the phone to Arthur? He isn't answering his phone and I really need to talk to him."

"Hmm? Aren't you two at the Whitetown dinner?" Merlin asked, his tone clearly indicating he had other things on his mind.

"Whitetown dinner? The big charity dinner is tonight?" She frowned, gripping the phone tighter. "Arthur didn't say anything about that."

The silence seemed to last forever before Merlin finally spoke uncertainly. "Maybe he forgot."

"Yeah. Maybe." Slowly, hurt seeped into her. Merlin was saying something but Gwen no longer wanted to speak to anyone. Mumbling an excuse about needing to do laundry, Gwen hung up on Merlin, then switched on the television, waiting for the news.

When the camera panned around the fancy ballroom and Gwen saw Arthur smiling at some woman she didn't recognise, her arm on him, Gwen immediately switched off the television, turned off her mobile phone and took her home phone off the line. In the darkness of her room, she finally let herself cry freely, hot tears streaming down her face, dampening her pillow. She wasn't even sure what she was crying about.

* * *

Uther looked up from the computer screen when Arthur entered the office.

"You did well with the damage control," Uther said grudgingly. "We've actually managed to retain the Sturridge contract despite Agravaine's mechanations."

"Why would he do such a thing?" It was a question that had been plaguing Arthur greatly. That someone who had professed to care for him could so easily turn on him affected Arthur immensely. How did you trust others if even those closest to you could hurt you this way?

Uther sighed. "It has nothing to do with you. It was about Ygraine."

"Mother?"

"Yes. Our relationship was complicated." Uther stood, signalling that that was all he was going to reveal. "Speaking of relationships, why were you alone last night at the Whitetown Ball? Have you broken up with that girl already?"

Through gritted teeth, Arthur answered, "That girl has a name. And Gwen was busy with her father. You do remember he is dying right?"

"Ah yes," said Uther, moving around his table to stand next to Arthur. "Dr Madeline could do nothing?"

"Not really. Chances are slim and the treatment is likely to be very painful." Arthur grimanced as he remembered the tears in Gwen's eyes when she told him.

"Well, marry her quickly. I think she's a sensible one." Uther slapped Arthur on the back, a semblance of a smile on his face. "Now, I need you to brief me on the Sturridge contract."

By the time Arthur left his father's office, he was in a good mood. Humming, he made his way back to his own office, noting that Merlin still hadn't come in. It was ridiculous how much leeway Merlin took with the job. Still, Arthur was in far too good spirits to even call Merlin. He had better things to do with his time, such as call Gwen.

"Hey," he breathed, his heart dancing when he heard her voice through the phone. "How was your day."

There was a pause, so brief Arthur figured he was simply imagining it. "Ok," said Gwen.

"How's your father?"

"The same."

His good spirits slightly deflated, he pressed on but all he got in return from Gwen were one word answers in a tone that suggested that she didn't want to speak with him. "What's wrong then? Has Elyan –"

"No. Nothing is wrong. Actually, I – we need to talk Arthur," she finally said.

Arthur felt slightly sick. "About? I can come by tonight."

"It's a long drive, don't be silly."

"I've been doing this drive for –"

"Arthur," Gwen said firmly. "Maybe this isn't working out."

The grip Arthur had on his phone was so painful but he couldn't seem to relax. "This?" 'This' could mean a million things, he told himself – maybe she hated the specialist he recommended, maybe she didn't like how he wasn't around enough, maybe she didn't like him driving the two hours to and fro –

"Us." Her voice was barely above a whisper.

"Us? Are you – Do you want to break up?" The words were coming out of his mouth but Arthur's mind refused to comprehend anything.

"I have my hands full with my father right now and relationships are hard enough and –"

"You don't mean it and we should talk face to face."

"No. Dad is calling for me. Look, please Arthur. I can't do this." He heard something that sounded like a sob. "Please. I have to go."

Before Arthur could say anything, she hung up. The phone dropped out of his hand, clattering onto his table. He'd tried so hard not to push her, to give her time and space because of all the stress she was under and it wasn't enough. A dull ache pounded in his heart and he buried his face in his hands. Eyes squeezed shut, he ran through the last few days. Had he done something wrong? Said something wrong?

Arthur didn't know.

All he knew was that his heart felt battered and at this very moment, nothing in his life felt like it would ever be right again.

* * *

AN: This chapter is the result of a bit of a writer's block. Sigh. Still, thank you for all the reviews. :)


	8. Chapter 8

Hihi! This should be wrapping up soon. Thanks for your patience and comments. And yup, I had a great holiday.

* * *

Arthur wasn't sure if it was relief or worry that filled his heart when Elyan opened the door.

"Where's Gwen?" he blurted then realized how rude he sounded. Running a hand through his hair, already ruffled into a mess by the number of times he had done the same thing as he worked out what to say to Gwen, he smiled slightly. "Hey Elyan. You look well."

Elyan didn't actually look well. Actually, he looked a little stressed.

"This is your fault," grumbled Elyan even as he stood aside to allow Arthur entry into the house.

"Um, what's my fault?" He crumpled the scrap of paper in his hand and slipped it into his pocket.

"I'm stuck here alone with Nurse Never Smile, that's what."

"Where's Gwen?"

Elyan shrugged, shutting the door behind Arthur. "She called me, demanded I come over then said she needed to get some fresh air and I had to pull my weight and look after Dad."

"Well, she's right," said Arthur as calmly as he could while his heart started to race. "Gwen has been bearing the brunt of your father's illness."

With a sigh, Elyan flopped onto the sofa, then gestured for Arthur to join him. "I know. I know. I am trying, but you know, things don't just return to normal do they?"

"Why did you leave?" It looked like his plan to hash things out with Gwen wasn't going to work out tonight. "Mind if I get something to drink?"

"Help yourself," said Elyan with a wave of his hand.

Returning with a glass of juice, Arthur settled into the sofa next to Elyan. "So."

The nurse came out of Gwen's father's room at that moment, glared at both Elyan and Arthur before shaking her head and disappearing into the kitchen. Arthur smiled.

"What's so funny?"

"It's rather nice to not be the only one here she hates," said Arthur. "Did Gwen say where she went? Or when she'll be back?"

"Nope. I arrived, she practically shoved me inside then walked off." Elyan narrowed his eyes. "I figured it had to be because of you."

"Me?"

"Well, of course. Gwen's a stoic one – only matters of the heart ever gets her in such a state."

Arthur's eyes widened. "State? What kind of state?"

But Elyan ignored his question. "The last time I saw her like this, was when Lance and her were doing their break up, don't break up dance."

"Huh."

"So what did you do? I know I've been gone for over a year but Gwen is still my sister."

Arthur churlishly felt like pointing out that Elyan probably caused Gwen more hurt than he did but thankfully, his head stopped him. "I'm not actually sure. That's why I came by."

"Right," said Elyan in a tone suggested he didn't believe Arthur at all. "Are you going to wait for her?"

He thought of the contract drafts he had to look over, and the new project his father wanted him to oversee as reward for his good work. Then he nodded. "Yeah. Let me just get my laptop from the car."

Within minutes, Arthur had settled himself at the kitchen table with his files and laptop. Slowly, he arranged everything on the table so that he could work. Then, pulling up his browser, Arthur paused for a while before typing in his parents' names.

* * *

The cool night air helped Gwen get her thoughts in order. At the very least, she felt calmer, less emotional and less overwhelmed. Elyan immediately coming over to keep an eye on Dad also helped without question. Since taking leave from her job, Gwen had spent almost 24/7 at home with her father and it was clear that she needed more breaks.

Her heart lurched painfully when she noticed Arthur's car in the driveway.

"Hello?"

Someone moved on the sofa, stretching then sitting up. "Hey sis. You're back. Nurse whatshername just left." He tilted his head towards the kitchen. "Your boyfriend is back there."

"He's not my boyfriend," she said immediately, regretting it when she looked up and saw Arthur standing in the doorway. Shadows on his face stopped her from reading his expression but tension radiated from his posture. Suddenly, the exhaustion and the stress that she thought she had put behind her during her walk swamped her.

"I'm going to go now. Percy is probably worried." Elyan muttered as he picked up his jacket.

"You should make it a habit to keep in touch with people," snapped Gwen. "Sorry. Sorry."

Elyan raised a hand. "It's good Gwen. Dad seems alright tonight. I'll come by tomorrow. See you, Arthur." With a quick nod, Elyan slipped out of the open door and disappeared into the darkness.

"Hey," Arthur took a step forward, stopping when Gwen took a corresponding step back. "Had a good break?"

Gwen nodded, her throat suddenly dry and unable to work.

"Um," Arthur fidgeted, shifting his weight from one foot to another. "I'm sorry I came over without asking but I was hoping we could talk." When she didn't reply, he shoved his hands in his pocket. "Uh, it's late anyway and I guess -"

Gwen closed her eyes. "No, you're right. We should talk."

"Ok," said Arthur but continued to stand awkwardly in the doorway.

"In the kitchen? I could do with a hot drink."

Arthur nodded, let her pass before following her back into the kitchen. As she made her tea, Arthur quietly packed up his things. As quiet as he was, Gwen was keenly aware of his presence in the confines of the small kitchen.

Finally, she sat down on a chair opposite Arthur, wrapping her hands around her mug.

"Dr Madeline tells me your father has decided against the treatment," Arthur said. The concern in his eyes was her undoing and she felt her own eyes tear up. He reached out a hand, then took it back, as if unsure if he could touch her.

Nodding, she swallowed the ball of tears in her throat. "He says the chance of recovery is too slim. He doesn't want to spend his last days in the hospital."

His hand touched hers gently and she turned her palm outward. Reading her mind, Arthur slid his warm palm over hers. The touch was light but it's effect on her was far from light.

"And how do you feel?"

"Angry," confessed Gwen, surprising herself. It was a thought she hadn't allowed to surface until now. "I'm angry he doesn't want to fight. That he's given up."

Arthur's hand slipped from hers, and Gwen looked up, worried that her words had upset him, made him realise she wasn't who he thought she was. The sound of his chair dragging against the linoleum floor scraped against her heart as he stood. With quick steps, he made his way to her, knelt down and dragged her into a hug. Instinctively, she buried her face into his neck, soaking in his warmth.

It was a while later when they untangled themselves. Arthur flashed her a wry smile, standing and rubbing his knees. Amusement and fondness curled in her stomach and she touched his face gently, standing up as well.

"Arthur, about us -"

A finger on her lip stopped her from speaking.

"You're right," Arthur said. "This is a difficult time for you - negotiating a new relationship isn't the easiest thing." The wry smile crossed his face again. "Also, I'm not the greatest at relationships. Maybe we should -"

"Put things on hold?"

Arthur's hand dropped and he nodded, his eyes fixed on the floor.

He was supposed to demand they make up, that the break up was a mistake, not stand in her kitchen and tell her it was the best thing. Anger at her father merged with her anger at Arthur and she snapped at him. "Why did you not bring me to the Whitetown dinner?"

"What?"

His complete shock at her accusation dampened her anger. Clearly the decision not to bring her to the Whitetown dinner was not important to him. Suddenly tired, Gwen shook her head. "Nothing. It's not important."

"The Whitetown dinner? That boring charity event?" Confusion was written all over Arthur's face. "I didn't think you wanted to come."

"Why not?" Gwen demanded, the feelings of jealousy and reject returning.

"Because your father is so sick?" Arthur frowned. "Why would you -"

"Why didn't you just ask me instead of making decisions for me?" Gwen snipped.

She wasn't sure what response she was expected but his sincere apology surprised her. "You're right. I should have and not presumed. I am sorry."

"Ok," she said, whatever residual anger and hurt seeping out of her.

"Ok," repeated Arthur.

They stood in the kitchen, staring at each other. Gwen drank him in, wondering if he was doing the same for her. Her life was such a mess - her father didn't want to live, her brother suddenly living within an hour of her, her ex-boyfriend standing in her kitchen looking as if he wanted to devour her.

"I shouldn't -"

"I think that we -"

They stopped, slight laughs escaping them. "You go first," she finally said.

"Let's be friends."

She bit her lip. That certainly wasn't what she had been expecting. "We're not friends?"

"I think we are. I mean, Vivian and I weren't exactly friends after we broke up," Arthur said. "But we can be friends, right?"

With a sinking heart, Gwen nodded.

"Good. As a friend, can I come by this weekend then? I could bring lunch."

She wanted to say no, she wanted to tell him that she didn't want to be friends, she wanted him to love her the way she thought she loved him, but she nodded again.

"Great. I'll come by about noon then."

"Yeah."

"It's late. I should go and you need your rest." For a moment, it looked as if Arthur was going to kiss her, but then he simply turned around, grabbed his files and laptop and walked out of the kitchen. She followed him into the living room where he was shrugging on his jacket.

I love you, she wanted to say. Don't go. Instead, she said, "see you on Saturday."

"See you."

She was still staring at her closed front door as she heard Arthur's engine start.

* * *

"Aren't you two doing this all wrong?" Merlin asked around bites of his sandwich. He was perched on Arthur's office couch and spilling lettuce and breadcrumbs all over it. "First she was your fake girlfriend, then your real girlfriend and now, you're just friends? What's next? Fake friends? Fake enemies? Real enemies?"

Arthur lobbed a pen at Merlin, swearing when it fell uselessly to the carpet. "I don't want to pressure her."

"You do still want to be with her, right?"

"Are you my therapist?"

Merlin stuffed the last bit of bread into his mouth, then wiped his hands on his trousers. "No. Sturridge signed the final document, by the way."

"Great," said Arthur. "You don't know anything about my mother, do you?"

"She was beautiful."

Arthur rolled his eyes. "Everyone knows that. Her portraits are everywhere. I mean, do you know about her and my father?"

Merlin hopped off the couch. "Well, the official story is that they were madly in love, right?"

"Official story? What's the unofficial one?"

"Hmm. There were rumours that in the last months of her life, your dad and mother weren't getting along very well. They are just rumours, though. Why the sudden curiosity?"

Arthur twirled his pen. "Nothing. Just a comment I heard recently."

"Right. Unlike you, I have a ton of important work to do." At the door, Merlin stopped. "You and Gwen need to get your acts together. Really. She's miserable without you."

"She's miserable because her father is dying," snapped Arthur but Merlin was gone. With a sigh, he opened up the report he had been reading before being rudely interrupted by Merlin. The words swam in front of him, his mind more concerned about his parents and Gwen. He should talk to Catherine, his father's office manager. She'd been around when his mother was still alive. Only, Catherine was unflinchingly loyal to his father. Maybe he should just speak to his father directly.

His mind was still musing over the options when his phone rang. A glance down at the screen told him it was Gwen.

He grinned. "Hello."

"Hey. I hope I'm not disturbing."

"Of course not. What can I do for you?"

There was a slight pause before Gwen continued. "Well, I was wondering if you would like to go on a picnic on Saturday and if that's alright with you, could we take your car?"

"My car?"

"It will be a bit of a squeeze but I thought -"

Arthur laughed. "What is this about, really?"

He heard her sigh and he could feel it in his toes. "My father happened to see your car yesterday. He likes it very much."

"Huh. So you want to take him out in it?"

"Mmmm."

"I don't see why that would be a problem."

"Thank you!"

"That's what friends are for," said Arthur. "I'll see you Saturday."

It was with a smile and a lighter heart that he hung up. He looked at his office phone, picked up the hand set, then set it down again.

Then he picked it up again and keyed in Catherine's extension.


	9. Chapter 9

Despite his attempt to keep a straight face, Gwen could see her father's eyes light up as Arthur's fancy car came to a stop outside the house. One arm supporting her father, she waved at Arthur, who slowly unfolded himself from his low-slung car.

"Right on time," she smiled. "And is that a picnic basket I see in the back?"

"I aim to please," he said, his own smile matching hers in brightness. "Mr Thomson."

"Arthur. Thank you for this."

Arthur's waved a hand. "No problem. What use is an expensive car like this anyway? Come on. Merlin told me of a nice little park not too far from here." He pulled open the passenger door, easily flipping the front seat forward, then stretching his hand out to her.

Letting go of her father, Gwen curled her fingers around Arthur's hand. The smoothness of his palm reminded her of the privileged life he led and she smiled wryly. He raised an eyebrow at her smile but said nothing as he helped her clamber into the back of his car. Her skirt caught against something at the door and she grumbled as she ungracefully freed the cloth then slumped into the back seat.

"Next time, my boyfriend will have a four-door car," Gwen huffed as she arranged her skirt. She couldn't see Arthur's face but she heard his laugh just he pushed the seat back and helped her father into the front seat.

"A four-door car is hardly as fun," said Arthur when he finally entered the car.

"I hate to say it, but that's true," said her father.

"Well," replied Gwen, "I am more interested in practical men." But she couldn't hide the smile that played on her face. Her father's and Arthur's responding laughter only widened it.

There was little more talk as Arthur lowered the roof of the car, then started the engine and drove off.

"This is such a cliché," murmured Gwen as Arthur sat down next to her on the plastic mat he'd brought. "A bubbling brook, large shady tree, flowers."

"Are you complaining?" Arthur poured some wine into a plastic cup and passed it to her. "I have to say Merlin is a genius for finding this place. If not for my trusty GPS, I would never have found it."

Her father sat on a foldable chair next to them, his eyes closed and his floppy hat pulled down low. Gwen felt her heart clench – just that short walk and her father was exhausted.

"He enjoyed the car ride," said Arthur quietly.

Gwen nodded and distracted herself from her thoughts by taking out the food from the basket Arthur had brought. Emblazoned on the side was the name of one of the city's finest grocers.

"Are you planning to feed an army?" she asked as she took out yet another punnet of strawberries. "I don't think the mat will contain all the food you bought! Or my stomach, for that matter."

"Better too much food, than too little," said Arthur. "You don't have to take them all out of the basket." His hands covered hers and a little thrill went through her. He was so close now, it would be so easy to lean that little bit forward and press her lips against his skin. But even before she could tell herself it was foolish, Arthur coughed slightly and pulled away.

"I spoke to Dad again." Gwen lay back onto the mat, her eyes focused on the blue sky, dotted with wisps of cloud. She felt Arthur's eyes on her. "We came up with a list of things that he wants to do before – before –"

Again, she felt Arthur's hand on hers and she turned her hand around, gratefully taking what he offered.

"So what else is on this list, aside from ride in a really cool car?"

Gwen laughed. "I was wondering if maybe you could get us into the Greenhouse."

"Oh, that restaurant you need to make a reservation months in advance? Why do I have the feeling you have plans to exploit our friendship?" Arthur's hold on her hand tightened and she could hear the amusement in his voice. "I suppose I could drop my name and get you two a reservation," he sighed.

"You could come with us?"

"And get in the way of father and daughter bonding? I don't think so." His chuckle was a warm sound that slid like syrup over her. It got louder when her stomach rumbled. "Come, which sandwich do you want?" He untangled his hand from hers and began poking at the various boxes.

Her father woke from his impromptu nap just as Gwen was finishing her sandwich.

"Sandwich, Dad?"

"Sure," he said, taking the sandwich she offered. "Fancy."

"Like the car."

Her father nodded. "Like the car. So Arthur, Gwen tells me that you volunteer at the Crossley Children's Home."

Gwen thought she saw Arthur's face colour.

"I do. For the past 3 years. I don't do much – just play with the kids sometimes." He fussed with the food, moving the boxes around for no reason. Her heart swelled.

"That's something at least."

"Dad," muttered Gwen, nudging his foot with hers. "Arthur is a busy man."

Arthur grunted and continued playing with the food boxes.

Her father smiled. "Did Gwen ever tell you about her first volunteer job?"

"Dad!"

The food boxes stopped moving and Arthur looked up, a glint in his eyes. "No, she's never mentioned it."

Her father didn't quite rub his hands together in glee but he might as well have. "Well," started her father. "She was just a teenager."

Gwen closed her eyes and flopped back down on the mat with an exaggerated sigh, as beside her, her father having no qualms regaling Arthur with embarrassing stories from her childhood, starting with the one time she volunteered at an animal shelter because of her massive crush on one of the workers there. It didn't help that she was petrified of animals that moved, which was most of them, or that a large bird took a fancy to her and decided that it would attack anyone who went near her.

* * *

Arthur not only got them a reservation at the Greenhouse, he also got them a seat in a private corner and paid for their meal. When Gwen tried to pay him back, he simply scoffed at her and told her that he would feel insulted if she did. But it wasn't all luxury restaurants and experiences. With her Elyan, they retraced their childhoods – visiting playgrounds and places he used to bring them.

"So many flavours and you always choose chocolate," said her father. His voice was tired but he was smiling. Gwen had been painfully aware that her father had been growing weaker over the past few days. Just the day before, they had to cancel their plans to walk down to the seaside because he had been feeling far too poorly to get out of bed. Gwen didn't think he was feeling all that much better this morning but he was insistent on going out. So here they were on the high street at an ice cream café they used to go to. Now, her feet touched the sticky ground and the scoop of ice cream no longer seemed too big. But in honour of the memories, Gwen had slathered her ice cream with rainbow sprinkles and stuck a flake in it. Elyan had a mouthful of mint ice cream while her father played with his.

"I like chocolate," Gwen replied with a pout. "You can never go wrong with chocolate."

"I asked Mr Hower to come over this evening."

Gwen dropped her spoon. Even Elyan stopped eating, stuffing his spoon into the ice cream. "The lawyer?" asked Elyan warily.

"Now you're back, Elyan, I want to make sure that the will is in order. The house will be split between you and your sister. I also have some savings that –"

The chocolate ice cream was melting all over her hand but she ignored it. "Dad, please."

"Gwen, we spoke about this."

And they had, alone, with Elyan, at length. Still, tears stung her eyes as her father laid out his plans. Plans they had discussed for weeks, plans she knew every detail of but she also knew it gave her father comfort to know that there were plans for when he was gone. So she let him talk.

"I love you two so much."

Although Elyan was not one to show much emotion, Gwen could see the sheen in his eyes. Under the table, her sticky hand took his.

"We love you too, Dad," said Gwen when it was clear all Elyan was capable of doing was stare at their father with a tormented expression.

"That Arthur boy," said her father. "He seems decent enough."

Despite her hurting heart, the words made her smile. "Is that because of the car ride or the reservations at the Greenhouse?"

"Both. Neither. He genuinely likes you – that much I can tell. I still don't think that getting mixed up with the Pendragons is a good idea but if it makes you happy –" Leaning over slowly, her father touched her cheek. "If he makes you happy, the way Lance did, then you have my blessings."

Before Gwen could say anything, her father turned to Elyan. "And you, I want to meet Percy."

Gwen could see the protest in Elyan's eyes and aimed a kick at his shins. The protest on his lips turned into an uneasy smile.

"Dad," said Elyan. "Your ice cream is melting all over the table."

"We should go get hot dogs after this!" said Gwen as she licked her fingers. "At that place around the corner."

Elyan grinned. "I agree. We haven't had those in years!"

"There are so unhealthy," rasped her father. "Why not?"

* * *

His heart pounded in his ears as he stood outside his father's office. So many times he'd found himself here, about to be chastised, but none of them compared to how he felt now. Anger coursed through him, mixed with confusion and hurt. Sucking in a breath, he took one last glance at Catherine then knocked on the door.

"I know why you're here. Cat told me." Uther gestured to the chair opposite his large desk. "I admit I should have seen this coming, after that mess with Agravaine. Close the door behind you."

The leather creaked under his weight and Arthur arranged himself on the chair, using it as an opportunity to keep his temper under control, especially in the face of his father's seeming nonchalance. His fingers dug into his palms.

"Why have you never told me?"

"How would such a conversation have started?" asked Uther. His computer beeped and Uther turned his attention to it.

"Father," said Arthur tightly. "Catherine says you pressured mother to have me, even though you were advised that the pregnancy was a high risk one."

A shrug served only to drive Arthur's anger up. "I wouldn't put it that way."

Arthur stood, trembling with emotions. "How would you put it then? You drove mother to her death! You said you loved her!"

"I loved your mother more than anything! Except you." Uther turned from the computer screen. "I loved your mother. We discussed the pregnancy, whether we wanted to take the risk."

"And did she?"

"She was," Uther paused for a while and Arthur thought that he saw a flicker of emotion in his eyes. "She was unsure. Oh she loved you the moment you were conceived, but she was frightened. I was frightened as well." He shook his head, pulled off his glasses and dragged a hand over his face. "But we – I always wanted a child and maybe, maybe I pressured her to have you."

Arthur sat back down.

"Your mother loved you and she loved me." This time, the breath he took was a shuddery one. Uther raised his eyes to Arthur. "She made the decision to continue the pregnancy. But she never told me about her fears, her uncertainty."

"You should have known. You should have asked her!"

"Don't you think I don't know that?" Uther said, his voice rising slightly. "You think I don't relive every moment and think about when I should have asked her about how she was feeling?"

Arthur swallowed. "Well, it's too late now, isn't it?"

Uther just looked at him, his eyes dull.

"I want her diary."

"No."

"She was my mother. I want her diary," Arthur repeated coldly.

Uther sighed harshly. "It's in the safe at home. Behind the silver."

Without a word, his heart still thumping, his mind full of angry thoughts, he stood and walked out of the room. He heard his father call his name but he refused to turn back. His father was supposed to have loved his mother. How could he have not noticed how she felt?

The door clicked shut behind him. He could feel Catherine's eyes on him as he stalked to the lift, but he ignored her.

In the lift, his phone rang. His immediate thought was to ignore it, but when he glanced at the screen, he saw Gwen's name.

"Gwen?"

"My father – Arthur –"


	10. Chapter 10

Arthur found Elyan slumped in one of the seats in the waiting room.

"Where's Gwen? How's your Dad?" Arthur skidded to a stop in front of Elyan, his heart pounding in his ears.

"Hey, Arthur. She's inside with Dad. One visitor only." Dark rings were smudged around his eyes and he was unshaven. Elyan caught Arthur staring and smiled wryly. "It's been a long night."

Arthur sighed, then took a seat next to Elyan. "Are you alright? Is Gwen?"

"You know, we knew this was coming – we've prepared for it, talked about it and now it's here –" Elyan trailed off then slumped even lower into his seat. "Gwen is holding up. She'll be glad you're here."

Merlin arrived some time later, bearing coffee and snacks. Just behind him, a large man walked in, worry clear in his eyes. It was the first time Arthur met Percy. Through the hours, as the traffic in the hospital rose and ebbed, Arthur, Merlin and Percy sat in the waiting room, half watching the soap that played on the small television in the corner, as Gwen and Elyan took turns in their father's ward.

When Gwen walked out of the room, tear streaks on her pale face, her red rimmed eyes blank. Arthur stood, walked towards her and held her tightly.

* * *

From the corner of the room, Arthur kept his eyes on Gwen, who dressed in a somber suit, smiled and nodded as she entertained her father's various friends and family. A small table of food and drinks stood in the middle of the room, flanked by a gaudy flower arrangement his father had sent. The funeral itself had been a simple, well-attended affair. Just an hour or so more, the funeral reception would end and Gwen would finally be able to get some rest. He rubbed the back of his neck. He was exhausted. He couldn't imagine how Gwen felt.

"Excuse me?"

Arthur dragged his gaze from Gwen to the stranger who stood next to him. "Can I help you?"

"I'm Lance. Is Gwen around?"

At that name, a chill ran down his spine. It took Arthur a while to pull himself together and attempt a friendly smile. "She's over there, by the bookcase."

"Thanks."

A tight band started to squeeze his heart as Arthur watched Lance approach Gwen. The shock on her face gave way to a smile and she let him hug her. For only the second time that day, Arthur tore his eyes from Gwen. The wine in his glass was warm but he gulped it down. He needed fresh air. Setting the glass down, he walked through the kitchen into the small back garden. He sucked in a lungful of air then let it out slowly. Lance must have heard of Gwen's father's death and returned from wherever he'd been. Had Gwen told him? It was clear that he and Gwen's father had been close so Gwen telling him would be the right thing to do. It didn't mean Gwen was still hung up on him. It didn't.

He lingered outside for a while more but when he noticed the crowd thinning, Arthur went back into the house, just in time to see Gwen lift herself up on her toes and brush her lips against Lance's cheek. His heart sank and irrational jealousy flared up in him. But this was not the time or place for his feelings.

"Lance," said Merlin who appeared suddenly next to him. "Another drink?"

"We're just friends," said Arthur as he took the glass from Merlin. "Gwen can be with whoever she wants."

"Right."

Arthur sighed. "Do you think he's back for the long term?"

"Do you mean, is Lance back to win back Gwen?"

"Maybe."

Merlin shook his head. "Talk to her. You two need to put an end to this only friends thing."

"Merlin, her father just passed away."

"I haven't forgot. I'm just starting to think that all this is just an excuse because the two of you are scared." Merlin slapped his shoulder. "Talk to her. Don't be your Dad."

Arthur shoved Merlin lightly. "Shut up."

By evening, most of the crowd had left. Except Lance was still around, still hovering over Gwen. Logically, Arthur knew that there was no reason for Gwen to entertain him but that other part of his brain that was fixated on the idea that Lance was about to sweep Gwen away from him hated that Gwen spent so much time chatting with Lance. Arthur walked up to Gwen.

"Arthur! This is Lance. Lance, this is my friend Arthur."

Arthur's heart sank even lower but he put on his best professional face. He'd to make nice with lots of people he didn't like for work. This would be no different. "We've met. I've heard a lot about you, Lance."

"All good I hope," said Lance. "I rushed back here as soon as I got the news." His arm slipped around Gwen's shoulders and it took Arthur some effort to keep his arms at his side.

"Are you planning to stay long?" asked Arthur.

Lance looked down at Gwen. "As long as Gwen needs me."

Arthur wanted to say that Gwen had him, she didn't need Lance. Actually, he wanted to punch Lance. Instead he nodded. "I'm glad."

"I'm glad too," said Gwen, smiling back at Lance. "It's nice to have you back."

"I'm going to call the caterers," said Arthur, unwilling to subject himself to more of this. He caught Gwen's frown but walked away.

* * *

Finally, the house was empty except for him, Merlin, Percy, Elyan and Gwen. They slumped on the sofa, wine glasses cradled in their hands.

Elyan raised his glass. "A toast to our father. He was a good man."

They raised their glasses, murmuring in agreement. For a while, Gwen and Elyan shared memories of their father into the wee hours of the morning.

"We have to go now," said Elyan, standing. He squeezed Gwen's shoulder. "You'll be alright?"

She nodded and smiled tiredly. "Drive carefully. You didn't drink too much, did you?"

"I did but Percy hasn't."

The large man stood as well and smiled. "Hey, you want a lift into the city, Merlin?"

"I can drive you back," said Arthur.

Merlin looked at him, then shook his head. "Nah, you stay with Gwen. I'll ride with them."

There was a flurry of hugs and kisses at the front door, then it was just him and Gwen.

"Are you going to stay the night?" she asked as she closed the door, exhaustion and emotion slurring her words together.

"Come, let's get you to your bedroom." When she didn't protest, Arthur pulled her close to him, supporting her with his body as he led her to her bedroom. By the time Gwen dragged her feet into her bedroom, Arthur knew she was half asleep. Picking her up only elicited a slight moan before she snuggled into him. Unable to resist, Arthur kissed her forehead. As gently as possible, he placed her on her bed.

"Arthur," she murmured, her eyes shut.

Lowering himself to the edge of her bed, he brushed her hair from her face. "Go to sleep."

She said something else then turned her face into her pillow. Arthur sat there, stroking her hair until her breathing evened out and her body relaxed. Tucking her duvet over her, Arthur went back into the living room, stretched out on the sofa and fell into a sleep disturbed by dreams of Gwen smiling sweetly at him, then telling him she was about to leave to build wells with Lance.

* * *

"Arthur?"

"Hmm?" He looked up from his work, his face breaking into a grin when Gwen popped her head around his door, then held up a paper bag. "Gwen! How have you been?"

"Good. I brought you lunch." Her smile was uncertain as she walked over to him and dropped the slightly oily bag onto his freshly polished desk. That simple action brought back memories of their time as a pretend couple. Ironically, Arthur found himself wishing that they could go back to that time, when things seemed so much more straight-forward, when emotions hadn't gotten involved and he knew, thanks to a legal contract, exactly where he stood with Gwen.

"Thank you. Here to have lunch with Merlin?"

Instead of agreeing and leaving, she pulled out the chair across from him and sat in it, crossing her legs daintily. Gwen had lovely legs. He should tell her one day. "Actually I came to see you."

Well.

Arthur put down his pen. "Me?"

Gwen's eyes slid away from his and her fingers played with the edges of his folder. "I – uh – wanted to see how you were."

"Yeah? How about you?" He stood, walking around his table, to lean next to where she sat. "Everything going well?"

Gwen smiled wryly. "I still cry sometimes but it's better. We're going to sell the house – Elyan needs the money and I work in the city anyway."

Elena had already told Arthur this after Gwen called her looking for a lawyer. But Arthur nodded. Elena had also told him that Gwen had gone to see her accompanied by a handsome, dark-haired man.

He wasn't going to ask about Lance.

"How are you? You've been very busy." Her fingers stopped playing with his folder and her hand touched his thigh gently. Arthur bit back the desire that suddenly coursed through him.

"Yeah. I have." He wanted so much to tell her about his mother and her diary. He wanted to tell her about the latest contract he'd snagged. "That's what happens when you don't come to work for a week."

Her palm flattened on his thigh. "Thank you so much for being there, for everything."

"That's what friends are for," Arthur said flippantly.

"What's that?" Startled by the change of subject, Arthur followed her gaze to where his mother's diary lay at a corner of his desk.

"Ah," he said again. "That's my mother's."

Curiosity entered her expression. "Oh? Is it a diary? Have you read it?"

Arthur thought about the evenings he'd spent plowing through the diary. It had been like spending time with the mother he'd never met – her excitement over the child, her increasingly fear and anxiety. He nodded, unable to look at Gwen.

Her hand touched his cheek.

"You know she died giving birth to me?"

"You told me."

"She didn't really want to have me. She was so frightened."

"Then why –"

"My dad really wanted a child. And she just never told him because she didn't want to let him down. Or she was afraid – I can't really tell."

Gwen's thumb rubbed against his knee. "I'm sorry."

Telling Gwen all that made Arthur remember what he'd told himself earlier in the week. "Gwen."

"Arthur," she said, her eyes wide as they gazed up at him.

"I don't want to be friends."

She bit her lip at his words. "No?"

"I should have asked you why you broke up with me in the first place but I was afraid I would hear something I didn't want to hear. Like my dad." Reaching down, he took the hand that was at his knee, tugging her up so they stood face to face. "Why did you dump me then?"

When she remained quiet, Arthur worried that Gwen didn't want to tell him. He dropped her hand, only to have her cup his face.

"I was scared I wasn't good enough for you," she said in a quiet voice. "And I thought you not bringing me to the Whitetown dinner was proof."

He frowned at her. "I hired you to be my fake girlfriend! Why would you not be good enough for me?"

Something flashed in her eyes. "I don't know. I never said it made sense!"

Arthur laughed, slipping one arm around her waist and pulling her so she was flush against him.

Instead of relaxing into him like she did so many times before, she jabbed his shoulder.

"Ow!"

"And instead of saying you wanted not to break up, you come by and say we should be friends!"

"I was scared too," confessed Arthur. "Scared I couldn't live up to Lance."

It was Gwen's turn to smile. "I don't want a replacement for Lance."

"No?"

"No. I want you."

"Good," whispered Arthur. "Because I want you too."

She stood on tip-toes and kissed him.

Epilogue

"You invited Elyan for dinner?"

Gwen nodded. "You know one of my dad's last wishes was for us to be a family again so I thought I'd make the effort."

"Ok. Do you need something catered?" Arthur shifted so he could gather Gwen closer to him. They were lying in bed, like they usually did every Sunday morning, just catching up with each other and enjoying a brief moment away from the stress of real life.

"I'll cook. Do you want to invite your friends?"

"If it isn't too much trouble. Might as well make a party of it."

"Exactly what I was thinking." Then she smiled, pushing herself up so she was sitting. "Do you know what date it is tomorrow?"

He knew exactly what date it was but he shook his head. Gwen let out a disappointed sigh, then slumped back onto the pillows. Laughing at her exaggerated despair, he leaned over her, brushing a kiss on her forehead.

"Did you really think I wouldn't remember? It's the day we signed that silly contract."

She pouted and turned from him. In response, he pressed wet kisses against her neck, slowing moving down her arm. He heard her sigh and he smiled, his hand sliding around her waist, then moving lower until he reached his goal. She moved and pressed against him, undulating against his hand.

"I love you," he said as he kissed her shoulder.

"I love you too."

* * *

AN: Ah, it's finally, truly over. I'm sorry it was so sad. :(


End file.
